So farmer Ian Brickell put Goliath rape into his hill-country paddocks in March instead. It didn’t do as well as he had hoped, mainly because of the lack of moisture.
“We’re break-feeding it now to the weaners. It’s not as good a crop as it should have been but it’s certainly getting us out of this tight patch at the moment.”
Ian was hoping for the forecasted rain at the start of August, and said it was desperately needed.
“This time last year the farm was a bog-hole. So I’m hoping the rain doesn’t all come at lambing.”
He expects he will put the Goliath paddocks back into grass rather than a summer crop. And his flats, which have “burnt out” Italian ryegrass, will be sown into permanent pasture this spring.
