Editorial: Be prepared!

This will be the mantra of many farmers up and down the east coast of the country as warnings come of a potential devastating drought hitting this summer.

NIWA’s principal scientist Chris Brandolino warns that weather patterns are emerging that will likely cause the early arrival of El Nino. NIWA is already starting to see dryness develop in parts of the North Island – including Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, as well on the South Island’s east coast.

“Normally the dryness begins in November, but this year it is likely to kick in early – meaning October.”

For those farming in the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions, already severely damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle, a potential drought is the last thing they need.

Already major players in the primary sector are mobilising staff ahead of NIWA’s predictions that east coast regions are about to be hit by potentially one of the country’s worst droughts.

Beef+Lamb NZ is running a series of events and webinars aimed at ensuring farm profitability in the light of the impending drought. These webinars are running every Monday evening with guest presenters talking about ways to best deal with a drought and with other problems on farm.

B+LNZ’s says it’s talking with the other primary sector organisations to ensure consistent messaging and avoid any duplication of work.

It is good to see that rural organisations are analysing rural community needs and the challenges they may face in the next six to twelve months to get a handle on what support is needed. A key part of this will be monitoring the well-being of people – especially those affected by Gabrielle given what they have gone through – and what they are potentially facing.

The reality is that dealing with the weather – and things like floods and droughts – are part of the ‘uncontrollables’ of farming. However, planning and preparing for various scenarios is what farmers can control.

As they say, to be forewarned is to be forearmed and hopefully farmers are taking the drought warnings seriously and planning for the worst, while hoping for the best.