Wednesday, 20 May 2020 08:55

Drought bigger challenge than COVID-19

Written by  Staff Reporters
RCNZ president David Kean. RCNZ president David Kean.

The lasting effects of the drought are seen by Rural Contractors NZ board members as a bigger challenge for contractors and farmers than COVID-19.

Meeting via video conference on Zoom in late April, the RCNZ board saw members from Southland to Northland commenting that the drought was the bigger issue.

RCNZ President David Kean, who operates from Winton in Southland, says work was now starting to dry up for contractors but that was seasonal and expected.

Through winter he saw challenges for contractors and farmers given lower supplies of feed through drought to the north and a poor growing season in Southland itself.

Wanaka based Richard Woodhead says many Otago farms are carrying higher stock numbers than normal because meat work processing had greatly reduced due to physical separation required under COVID-19 management plans.

“The works can’t process them all. It’s going to be a problem in a two months’ time.”

Canterbury board member Martin Bruce says farmers were still irrigating and looking for winter feed. Surplus straw, baleage and silage have mostly been sold and not being able to sell stock is a big problem. Inland central Canterbury has had more rain than coastal areas so is looking okay going into winter.

Wairarapa contractor Clinton Carroll says some sustained rain was needed as most surplus feed had been used and stock numbers were high. 

Across in Rangitikei, Graham Greer says the region’s maize crop has largely been poor, with some blocks only delivering 6t/ha for grain.  As the region entered May it remained unbelievably dry. Some contractors and farmers were looking at planning winter wheat which was unusual.

RCNZ Vice-President Helen Slattery, who is Matamata based, says maize has been down as low as 10 or 11t/ha. While the Waikato had been very dry, some green was starting to return. 

She says the drought had taken its toll on farmer mental health.

More like this

Marlborough drought declaration welcomed

Marlborough Federated Farmers has got some real concern about the mental wellbeing of farmers and their families in the region because of the drought and there’s a lot of pressure starting to build.

Drought classification welcome news - Feds

Federated Farmers Marlborough Province says it welcomes the announcement yesterday that current dry weather in the top of the South Island would be classified as a medium-scale adverse event.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

AGTEK and ARGO part ways

After 12 years of representing the Landini and McCormick brands in New Zealand, Bay of Plenty-based AGTEK and the brands’…

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter