Hawke’s Bay Regional Council principal air scientist Dr Kathleen Kozyniak says most areas in the region had 30-60mm over Queen’s Birthday weekend with higher falls of 70mm to 150mm in the ranges and hill country though Wairoa had less
More rain fell during the week, with temperatures in the early to mid 20s.
With that the region has already had more than 40% of June’s average rain with the Heretaunga Plains more than 60%.
Hawke’s Bay ended up with 70% of the average May rain though both southern Hawke’s Bay and Waikaremoana fell within the normal range at about 85%. Northern Hawke’s Bay came off worst with only 51%.
Kozyniak says that’s had a positive effect on soil moisture with both Onga Onga and Bridge Pa moving out of the usual lowest 10th percentile. Hangaroa, north of Wairoa, is at median levels. Soil temperature is about 12C at most measuring sites.
However, seasonal models favour a westerly flow from June to August, with drier weather for eastern areas, she says.
Hauraki Plains farmers also got much-needed rain with 30-90mm falling.
Federated Farmers Hauraki-Coromandel president Kevin Robinson says warm temperatures have also helped so the change became obvious across the plains even after a few days.
“What was brown with a few bits of green is now becoming more green than brown,” he says.
Because it’s been so dry there’s been some residual nitrogen left in the paddock so with a bit of rain it really takes off though more frequent and steady rain and warm weather are needed before farmers will be anywhere near where they want to be.
The change in conditions has led to a corresponding boost in farmer morale though everyone is aware they are not out of the woods ye. Even if optimum growing conditions continue careful feed budgeting will be needed for at least another four to six weeks.
It isn’t quite as positive on the Coromandel Peninsula with too much rain in the ranges causing damage around Whitianga though that was moderate and most farmers in the area are used to it, Robinson said.
Frequent rain has also been welcomed further north.
Northland Rural Support Trust chairman Jim Rhynd says most parts of the region got 50-100mm, again with warm temperatures.
“It’s put a different gloss on the game. Farmers can start looking forward to the coming season. Morale has really picked up.”
Even the west coast, which was very dry, got 40-60mm a day, which was desperately needed.
“It has been drier there for a while. They didn’t have good covers to start with and the drought really hit that.”
Beef farmers were concerned schedule prices are well down, which is causing uncertainty, though they hope stock will now put some weight on.
Rain and warm weather had an immediate impact on the number of local buyers at Stortford Lodge sale yards in Hastings.
AgriHQ senior analyst and Livestock Eye operations manager Suz Bremner says the return of the local buying bench was noticeable with all but one buyer from Hawke’s Bay. The exception was from Wairarapa, which has almost run out of store lambs because farmers there recovered from the dry earlier.
The little bit of grass growth already has some Hawke’s Bay farmers looking beyond the short-term though it is lambs they are interested in, with new grass more suitable for them rather than cattle.
Prices did ease slightly, which she put down to the end of initial excitement over yards reopening earlier pushing them up, but there were 10,000 lambs yarded, with interest across all classes.
“Locals are starting to think ahead with people taking on longer-term lambs rather than just short-term.
“It was good to see people smiling. There was an air of optimism, it was buoyant, which we haven’t seen for a while.”
Urgent feed solution found
A group of Hawke’s Bay farmers needing an urgent feed solution for their early lambing ewes have been thrown a lifeline from Manawatu.
Lambing ewes cannot be fed daily with hay, balage or grain because as soon as the feed is distributed they run to it and in some cases won’t reconnect with their lambs afterwards.
However, fodder beet can be put into paddocks just before lambing so ewes can nibble on it during lambing, meeting their feed needs and not disturbing their lambs.
Rural Directions managing director Brent Paterson, part of the Hawke’s Bay Rural Support Trust team, knew a group of 11 farmers with early lambing ewes urgently in need of feed before they started lambing.
He found a solution on the other side of the Ruahine Range.
A Feilding farming family lifted, loaded and co-ordinated transport of just under 600 tonnes of fodder beet, which was sent to Hawke’s Bay.
Paterson organised a Zoom call with a Canterbury farmer who has fed in-lamb ewes fodder beet in the past so he could pass on feeding logistics and rates he has used to the Hawke’s Bay farmers.
