Federated Farmers provincial president John Blackwell said while the north has suffered adverse events before, no rain since December followed a year of rainfall deficit that led to groundwater levels lower than ever recorded.
“Farmers tell me that watering holes have dried up for the first time in memory,” he said.
The extreme dry came early in the season and farmers have to plan for two or more months before autumn rain.
Most farmers made silage and hay in spring and have fed it to their livestock but the summer crops haven’t delivered and contractors have sold out of all fodder intended for winter.
Federated Farmers is considering activating a feed line to access supplies from further south.
Some people have asked Blackwell why the adverse event declaration came with such a small amount of money, just $80,000.
“It was never going to be a handout to farmers but a means for the Rural Support Trust to get working, contacting farmers who might be hiding away.”
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said the declaration is recognition the extreme and prolonged nature of the dry spell is taking a toll on farmers and growers and support is needed. The trust is the best way of delivering that help.
“They use that money very wisely and it is enough to enable them to get on and do their job.
“It doesn’t solve the physical challenges for each and every farm but it does enable them access to good advice,” O’Connor said.
Federated Farmers will also talk to meat companies and try to ease congestion at processing plants where the demand for killing space is now acute.
The rising price schedule in November encouraged farmers to hold cattle and sheep to put on more weight so the plants were under-used before Christmas, Blackwell said.
The combination of coronavirus disruption, falling schedules and extremely dry weather has now fallen on sheep and beef farmers, all trying to destock and book killing space.
“The processors make more money out of cull dairy cows than prime or bull so they are favouring cow slaughter.
“We need to talk to the meat co-ops and ask if we will get a better service in future or do we plant some of Shane Jones’ billion trees?”
Fonterra’s Kauri plant just north of Whangarei is back-loading potable water to Kaikohe and Kaitaia in its milk tankers.
Three units with 90,000 litres went to Kaitaia on one day last week, following a trial to Kaikohe the week before.
Kauri site manager Rowan Hartigan said Kauri is connected to the Whangarei town supply though it is completely self-sufficient with water from its own two dams.
After modifications at the tanker depot Fonterra can wash and fill trucks with water overnight ready for the first run north in the morning.
“Transporting Whangarei water to communities in need we see as the right thing to do and Fonterra will absorb the cost where it can,” Hartigan said.
While the milk supply is falling Kauri still has 30 units collecting around the province as some drivers have finished their season and some trucks have to be serviced.
The drinkable water is not going to private users but to temporary filling stations open to all.
