The southern half of Hawke’s Bay is entering its seventh month of below-normal rainfall and there is no sign of the drought breaking.
Hawke’s Bay Rural Advisory Group co-chairman Lochie MacGillivray says it is critical that farmers tap into the free advice available and plan ahead.
“If you aren’t already, now is the time to talk to your trusted advisers and make a comprehensive plan for winter and beyond.
“Farmers need to act now and work out how much feed they have and what steps they need to take in case they are not able to get their stock processed when they want.”
The drought has caused significant feed shortages and while supplementary feed is a viable alternative for some it won’t be enough for some animals during winter – particularly those on hill country, where access is difficult.
Generating pasture cover is critical before winter.
“We would advise that plans involve looking at the use of nitrogen and, if possible, delaying the return of grazing animals amongst other things. Above all, keep revising the plan and keep being proactive.”
Federated Farmers adverse events spokesman Andrew Hoggard says the federation looked at options to help move feed such as balage from the South Island to the North but not much is available.
“If we knew that there was a good surplus of balage in one province and it was just an organisational issue transporting it then we would have got moving on it.
“Unfortunately, with the likes of balage there is virtually none.”
Any spare North Otago feed is likely to go to Southland, where floods hit feed supplies in February.
Hoggard knows some farmers are getting sick of being told to get feed budget advice when they want know where they can get feed but talking to advisers about a different approach can help.
An outside pair of eyes provides an alternative way of thinking about farm feed situations and a different approach to managing them.
“There is benefit in that.”
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council principal air scientist Kathleen Kozyniak says rain is expected in the next few days as a front is forecast to move in from the west.
“An area of low pressure may develop to the east of the North Island behind it, which could bring periods of rain. However, it is too early to gauge whether this will eventuate.
“To break the drought the region requires about 60-80mm of rain over two weeks.”
Soil moisture remains very low at the council’s Bridge Pa, Onga Onga and Crownthorpe sites. Soil temperatures are about 16C on the Heretaunga Plains and 11C at higher elevations.
John Frizzell has been farming in Central Hawke’s Bay for more than 50 years and has got through a few droughts but the length of this one is making it tough for many and for some it’s compounded by TB movement controls, Mycoplasma bovis and covid-19 causing sale yard closures and meat plant delays.
Frizzell moved to Central Hawke’s Bay in 1961 and has been on his property east of Waipawa since 1967.
He has seen a few significant droughts in that time. There was a particularly bad one in the early 1970s and others in the 80s.
“But this one has gone on for a bit, that’s the problem.”
Though conditions were dry till the end of February, that’s not particularly unusual.
It’s that there’s been no respite since then.
He has seen it extremely dry in the past but has not seen his farm dams lower than they are now, which he says is always a good indicator.
There was some rain about a month ago but what was needed was a good follow-up and it never arrived.
He farms for the traditional summer-dry conditions with about three-quarters of his lambs gone by the end of November.
He ususally buys in about 260 weaners but he’s down about 100 on that this year.
A key focus is to get rid of stock early so there’s a reasonable buffer between what’s on-farm and the feed available.
