Road repairs and slash damage are main concerns
Red meat farmers want the Government to urgently commit to road repairs in isolated Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti farming communities.
The Piako and Waitoa rivers in Waikato remain heavily swollen today following recent rains, while the Ohinemuri and Waihou have begun to recede. Further west, the lower Waikato River remains high.
Waikato Regional Council emergency management officer Greg Ryan said the council would be keeping a particularly close eye on the Piako and Waitoa today as peak levels moved through the river systems.
There's potential for emergency ponding zones in paddocks near the Piako River to be receiving water from the Piako and the Waitoa over the next 48 hours. This is an important part of the Piako flood management scheme which takes pressure off land beside the lower Piako.
"Our flood management infrastructure is coping well and is expected to help prevent any significant damage to property. But we will be monitoring the situation carefully. We will have people out on the ground regularly checking stopbanks and flood pumps," said Ryan.
For the Ohinemuri and Waihou, levels are forecast to decline steadily over coming days.
However, the lower Waikato River is expected to remain heavily swollen for the rest of the week, especially around Mercer.
The Waikato River at Hamilton is also elevated due to the recent rains and residents can expect to see levels slowly recede there over coming days.
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.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
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