Rainfall figures for the year-to-date in those areas are about 20% of normal, and forecasters warn there is little likelihood of a reprieve this month.
Ian Richardson says this is the driest autumn he has experienced in 33 years farming on the peninsula, with about 15mm falling since March following less than half their average annual rainfall last year.
Richardson has had cows and calves grazing in Southland since November, while other peninsula farmers are offloading trading and some capital livestock.
Stock water supplies, which tend to be drawn off natural sources, are starting to dry due in part to inconsistent rain events.
Richardson says steady falls in November and Christmas, when 70mm fell, have been followed by ineffectual light showers.
A Challenging Autumn farmers field day is being held at Little River on April 16 from 3pm, with talks by an agronomist, accountant and animal nutritionist followed by a barbecue.
Areas on the East Coast of both islands from Otago to Gisborne have only recorded about 15mm of rain in the last six weeks.
WeatherWatch forecaster Phil Duncan says despite some promising wet weather headed towards New Zealand in the next couple of weeks, parched areas may only see up to 25mm.
In contrast, the South Island’s West Coast could be deluged with 200-300mm over the same period, and western areas of the North Island could receive up to 200mm.
Southern parts of the South Island could get some spill over from the West Coast deluge.
Duncan says this dry pattern is expected to continue for eastern areas, as dry and warm westerly weather patterns dominate for the foreseeable future.
North Canterbury Federated Farmers president Cameron Henderson says coastal areas were also very dry with farmers there quitting trading stock and some dipping into capital stock.
“Canterbury gets dry every year, but Banks Peninsula and coastal areas are especially dry this year,” Henderson said.
Dunedin recorded its third driest March since 1918 with 13mm falling, 20% of its average monthly rainfall and Oamaru was even drier, with just 8mm falling in March, a fifth of its usual rainfall.
Otago Federated Farmers president Simon Davies says dry conditions are concentrated on localised areas, forcing farmers to quit surplus stock.
Davies says the biggest concern is having sufficient grass for flushing ewes.
North Otago Federated Farmers president Jared Ross says there has been little follow up to two decent rainfalls over the Christmas and New Year.
This is the second consecutive year of uneven rainfall and Ross says some winter crops are poor and supplementary feed not in abundance.
Some farmers are close to exhausting their irrigation water takes for the season, but Ross says most will continue milking as planned through to mid to late May.
Coastal Wairarapa and parts of Hawke’s Bay are also unseasonably dry.
Federated Farmers Hawke’s Bay president Jim Galloway says while it is not as bad as last year, parts of the province were affected.
With late autumn-winter looming, the fear is that the opportunity to build up some spare pasture, especially in the hill country, is diminishing as the dry weather continues.
His Gisborne-Wairoa counterpart Toby Williams says feed is short in parts of the region, but other areas are fine.
Dams are low, however, and calf weaning will allow some farmers to reduce stock pressure.
