Nets are going on in a Hawke's Bay vineyard. Grapes are at or just past the veraison stage. In Canterbury there are large areas of grass seed crops cut waiting for warm dry weather for harvesting.
Listen to On the Farm for more on conditions on farms and orchards around the country.
The dry weather in Northland has caught a lot of people by surprise. A Whangarei farmer says he had a lot of feed going into the summer but in recent weeks it's just evaporated. A farmer in the Bay of Islands had a much needed 20 millimetres of rain this week. It's drying off considerably but people are still fairly comfortable compared to the last two years, given plenty of rain in the winter and December. Decision-making about when to cull stock is tricky at the moment with Omicron. It's hard if you're only getting $9 a kilo but our contact says it's probably best to cull now in order to avoid problems later. The works are already working at well below capacity. Fire-stricken farmers in the far north are suffering from a lack of feed.
Around Pukekohe questions are being asked about the ability to grow and harvest vegetables if staff are absent up to a month because of Covid. This comes on top of 37 continuous days without rain. There've been only a few brief light showers this week and irrigators are working hard in the dry. With potatoes, where irrigation is available, efforts have to be made to keep the ground moist and reduce ground cracking and stop the tuber moth getting in and damaging them.
Sheep waiting to be shorn in Waikato Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
It's been … well, just blimmin' dry in Waikato. All the promised rain just doesn't seem to eventuate. And as one consultant said, there's a whole lot of black clouds on the horizon with no rain in them … he'd just got off the phone to a hill country farmer who wanted to get his finished lambs to the works. He can't get them killed anywhere and even pulling the "faithful client" card doesn't do the trick. It's very frustrating with fantastic prices for beef and lamb at the moment.
After a long dry period, the Bay of Plenty had an exciting 30 millimetres of rain this week. Kiwifruit growers are finishing up canopy work - checking fruit loads and seeing if they need to do any more fruit thinning. The first variety off the block will be the red kiwifruit, due for harvest mid-February and New Zealanders should see more of this new variety in supermarkets this year. We're told the red looks fabulous on a pav!
It's a mixed bag moisture-wise in the Gisborne area. Some, particularly in coastal areas, are in a great situation and others are wondering how much drier it's going to get. Here, too, it's hard getting stock killed especially with only one sheep works in the area. All other stock must go out of the region.
Coromandel Photo: Lori Bowman
Nets are going on in a Hawke's Bay vineyard. Grapes are at or just past the veraison stage - softening and ripening up. Quality and quantity are looking good. It's been the warmest growing period for the past three years at least. Humid conidtions have meant spraying for powdery mildew has had to take place every eight days instead of every 11. It creates more work and that's a challenge with labour remaining a significant issue. Some jobs have had to be repeated because the workers just hadn't had enough experience.
The hot and dry continues in Taranaki despite a little bit of moisture midweek. It's still green but pasture covers are dropping and a lot of supplements are being fed. Fortunately the main silage crop is looking fantastic and will be fed out late February and March. With the dry some farmers are looking at culling low producers and cows with mastisis. Production is five to 10 percent down and starting to slip behind last year significantly.
Back country farm buildings Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
It's been a summer of two halves in Manawatū . After Christmas the tap turned off and things are drying out pretty quickly. A sheep and beef farmer has been calf marking and is in the process of sorting out ewes and lambs. He's thinking ahead to how to manage if Omicron strikes and feels in a good position with enough knowledgable people around to draw on if he gets sick.
Wairarapa is normally much more browned off at this time of year despite the sporadic and spotty rain. An arable farmer is harvesting peas at the moment and seeing average yields but with more grass around they're carrying double the amount of trade lambs and bull calves for the time of year.
The Nelson Motueka Region has had 25 millimetres of timely rain - after a long spell of warm and very sunny weather. Royal Gala apples will start coming off the trees in four or five weeks time. Fruit size, yield, colour and flavour looks like they'll be fantastic. This time last year the region was still reeling from the Boxing Day hail storms that wiped out 40 percent of its apples and 60 percent of its kiwifruit. Growers are very excited about their crops but worried about whether packhouses will have enough labour if Omicron takes hold. Early pears are being picked.
Marlborough Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Marlborough grape vines are looking healthy - they had rain when it was needed earlier and it's been dry and warm since. The grower we called says his pinot noir grapes are at veraison so the birds are very interested. The nets are going on - his cover six rows at a time. He says the birds seem to prefer red grapes over grapes used for white wine. On the hill country farm, rain before Christmas really set up summer well. Trading stock has all been sold although there are a few lambs yet to be finished.
The West Coast's run of wet weather broke on Boxing day - and then there were 21 days with barely a drop. Last week most spots had a very welcome 30 to 50 millimetres . The coast is set up to drain and so dairy farmers there are now looking skywards again. Farmers have used the dry spell to catch up on maintenance and get silage and baleage made - some are already feeding it out! The milk flow to the dairy company has taken a noticeable drop. It could be because fewer cows are being farmed on the coast - some farmers have got rid of animals to reduce their costs. The farmer we spoke to says after Fonterra lifted its forecast payout price earlier in the week there's been a lift in the price of some farm supplies and fertiliser.
In Canterbury, around Hororata, it's been a mostly cool damp summer so far. That's been great news for dryland farmers in the region, but not so good for arable farmers. There are large areas of grass seed crops cut waiting for warm dry weather for harvesting. The early cereals and grass seed that has been done so far are disappointing in term of yield so farmers are hoping for better crop growing weather.
A dunny with a view on Banks Peninsula Photo: RNZ/Sally Round
Otago also had rain up until Christmas but since it has been hot and dry. Higher altitude properties are now weaning lambs and taking the mixed aged ewes out to the high country for the remainder of summer. It's a job done on horseback - and our contact says it's one of the things she loves about living in the high country. Summer's been spent making lucerne hay, and swimming in the Von river and in lake Wakatipu - and water skiing. Central otago had a frost on Friday morning! Prices at on farm lamb sales are very high.
Southland Photo: RNZ / Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Southland farmers would like some rain - it's not a drought though - it's just summer. The first of the arable crops are being harvested - Southland grows a lot of barely oats and wheat. Dairy farmers have their cows on summer crops - they grow turnips to make up for the slow grass growth. Farmers are being encouraged to make plans about how to cope with omicron - and are seeking clarification about what they are allowed to do if they are told to isolate or even contract it. There are fears some simply won't get tested if they're not allowed to move around their farms, look after their animals and get on with the work that can't wait. They have no intention of mixing with other people but want to know they can work outside on their own.
