In Waikato showers remained localised with some northern districts in the north getting as much as 50mm and others only 10-15mm, the region’s Federated Farmers president Andrew McGiven said.
“It’s been very patchy and nothing much has changed. Even if we get good rain it’s still three weeks before we start growing anything.”
On farm feed supplies are running low in some areas but some maize crops are yet to be harvested and farmers should be able to get supplementary feed if they are running low, he said.
“I think supply is all right but most guys with their on-farm feed sources are probably getting very low at the moment.”
The group’s Waikato arable chairman John Hodge said maize harvest yields are back 10-25% for silage because of the lack of rain in January and February.
Wrapped grass silage is selling for $80-$120 a tonne.
Waikato maize grower and ex-FAR field officer Mike Parker said yields in central Waikato are down considerably this summer.
“We are talking yields of about 18t a hectare compared to 20-21t and they are quite variable, depending on where rain has fallen.”
Peat country has delivered better yields but in many areas no rain over the key growing period means crops have not developed to their full potential. It is fortunate last spring delivered such good grass surpluses, with good silage supply.
However, many farmers have used those supplies and the next few weeks will swing on whether grass growth can pick up before cooler temperatures predominate.
Maize silage supply has shaped up better than miight have been expected in Bay of Plenty, despite one of the driest summers on record stifling production.
Bill Webb of Bill Webb Feed Solutions near Te Puke said crops on lower, wetter country performed better this year than last season when heavy rain washed out many crops on the same land.
“But on the higher, drier country the yields have proved to be quite variable. Average block yields would still be 22t/ha but there are some on that lower country that would be up to 26t.”
He is confident there is a good supply of maize for silage across the region and he has supplied all farmers’s orders.
“We have been able to send a memo out to farmers saying we are in a position to provide more if required.”
However, supplies of quality baled grass silage are starting to get low after a good spring surplus.
“We have sold the last of our square hay bales and are just about out of baled silage. Transport costs are a big part of the cost now too.”
To truck 42 big bales to Manawatu costs about $2000 a unit and the economics of doing so have to be carefully compared to other options like drying off cows or quitting stock.
The rain largely missed Hawke’s Bay.
Maize grain has yet to be harvested and yields are expected to be well back. There is a small amount of maize silage available after the crop was bypassed for sweetcorn because it did make the specified grade, the federation’s Hawke’s Bay president Jim Galloway said.
He knows of some sheep farmers who are feeding their tupping ewes South Island grain but it takes time to safely transition stock onto that type of feed.
“People are doing what they can but it’s pretty tight,” he said.
The window of opportunity for farmers near the foothills of the Ruahine Ranges to recover is also rapidly closing because the area usually has an early winter, he said.
The federation’s arable vice-chairman Dion Fleming said there is still maize grain available from Manawatu and Gisborne and barley from the South Island.
“In what is normally a slower time of year for our silo complex/feed mill we have seen a large number of dry stock farmers turning to maize as a solution to help fill their feed gap.”
In Northland livestock farmers remain very short of feed, having fed out most of their spring and summer crops in advance of winter, Rural Support Trust co-ordinator Julie Jonker said.
Northland Federated Farmers and other agencies continue to press for Government-backed feed shipments from the South Island but without result so far.
“We have a definite and ongoing feed shortage that will persist for months.
“On the brighter side, farmers are used to self-isolation and having food stores at home.”
Planned RST community events have been postponed and advice is given only by phone or computer now that face-to-face meetings have been prohibited.
A virtual support network on the internet is being built and rural assistance payments are being made, she said.
J Swaps spokesman Ken Leatham said palm kernel prices have rebounded, particularly in Malaysia where it has ceased all operations across the country.
Its prices are $375 a tonne spot, $345/t for a three-month contract and $342 for a six-month contract.
