fbpx
Print this page
Wednesday, 08 April 2020 12:32

Tough time on farm for many

Written by  Peter Burke
Ben Allomes. Ben Allomes.

Under pressure from drought and COVID-19, Woodville dairy farmer Ben Allomes says: ‘we can’t shut our doors and just walk away’.

Last week’s rain has helped his situation, but he says more rain is needed to deal with the drought. 

Allomes told Rural News the effects of the drought are being exacerbated by the COVID-19 virus. He says there’s been an inability to source feed and the price of PKE has spiked and all of this has created uncertainty for beef prices.

He’s been trying to get cull cows to the works, but a combination of COVID-19 and drought has seen him forced to retain animals that he would like to be rid of. Allomes also had to take back young stock from grazing properties who have run out of feed.

Meanwhile, his family and staff had been preparing for the possibility of a lockdown long before the Government announcement. Ben and wife Nicky took their children out of school early to protect the health of the family. He says that he and his staff had talked about the situation and had been self-isolating on the farm.

“There has been a huge focus on hygiene with hand wipes on tractors, staff wearing gloves and keeping a safe distance from each other,” he told Rural News.  “The good news is that our staff have still got jobs and we can still operate as business.” 

Allomes says he and other farmers have been engaged in what he calls ‘cautious stocking up’.

“We are making sure we have got some beer, we stocked up on fence posts because we can do some fencing while we are locked down. Others have stocked up on gorse spray or paint to get a few things done during the lockdown.” 

Allomes says the big thing for him is the realisation is that no matter what, he and his team have got to get up every single day and still go out and milk the cows and keep our animals alive.  He says there is lot of talk around the fact that as food producers’ farmers have got to produce.

“But I am not even thinking about making milk,” he says. “I am concerned about keeping my animals alive because I have got to get through the next spring and the drought and making milk is actually secondary for me.”

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

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…

A different shade of blue for Norwood

Norwood and ARGO Tractors, the Italian manufacturer of Landini and McCormick tractors, have announced an agreement that gives Norwood exclusive…

Kubota tests diesel engines

Kubota last month used the UK LAMMA Show to test the water with its new 200hp, four-cylinder 09-series diesel engines.