Until full repairs are done, supplement replacements could be needed to try to recoup this lost production.
Estimates are affected farmers could face extra costs of 47c/kg MS to do this.
DairyNZ developer Steve Lee from Lincoln said the most immediate concern late in September was the number of days farmers had before irrigation became necessary.
“Up until early September things were quite moist but of course with the storm we had a lot of wind which dried things out.”
By September 17 the Lincoln University Dairy Farm was tracking below its budgeted average pasture cover, sitting at 2200kg DM/ha and growth rates of 34kg DM/ha/day were almost half what could be expected.
Lee said an option for farmers concerned over irrigation capability could be to apply nitrogen earlier than usual, taking advantage of what moisture remained in the soil before it was gone.
Moisture data and irrigation company Watermetrics managing director Andrew Neill said soil temperatures had taken a dive after the storm, putting the brakes on early spring growth.
“We have temperatures down at 8-9degC now but have to remember that’s in September not October.”
Grain prices in late September were about $410/tonne.
Silage supplies were good through the Plains thanks to a mild winter.
