Farmer feed worries with dry weather

Clinton farmer Scott McKenzie hopes the rain will start soon ... In the meantime, he is feeding out silage to stock. Photo by Helena de Reus.

Dry weather in South and West Otago has farmers concerned for crop and pasture growth across the district, prompting some to begin feeding out silage to stock and others to sell surplus animals.

Clinton sheep and beef farmer Scott McKenzie started feeding out silage and baleage to stock last week, after he began running out of pasture.

"We're very lucky to have weaned early this season, with some stock weaned by December 10 instead of by Christmas Day.

But winter crops are a major concern at the moment."

Kale and swede crops on his South Otago farm had not struck yet, and if rain did not fall soon, the crops might have to be re-sown.

In West Otago, levels of dryness varied across the area.

Nelson Hancox primarily farms sheep on his three farms in West Otago - at Park Hill, Tapanui and Wilden and, while the 1400ha Wilden property was less affected than the other two, he started selling store lambs for the first time since he began farming in 1993.

"I've sold about 3000 of the 25,000 lambs on the home farm at Tapanui. We're just trying to be proactive and the number of store lambs sold is only a small percentage. The biggest worry is that crops are really struggling, particularly cultivated crops."

Although scattered showers and summer thunderstorms are forecast for inland Clutha today and rain was expected to develop on Friday, forecasters are not predicting just how much rain might fall, or whether it would be enough to satisfy the needs of pastures and crops.

Federated Farmers Otago dairy chairman David Wilson said most farmers in South and West Otago were coping, but pastures were very dry.

"Most farmers will be looking at getting rid of any extra animals. It's a matter of managing the grass."

There are about 220,000 cows in the Otago region, producing 78 million kilograms of milk solids a year and bringing $620 million into the region from the dairy sector, Mr Wilson said.

"Any drop in dairy production will affect other industries in Otago."

He urged farmers to be proactive, to work out what feed was on hand, and how much extra feed could be brought in for stock.

The dry weather has prompted DairyNZ to run seven dry summer field days this week in Clutha and Southland on how farmers can cope with the conditions.

DairyNZ consulting officer for Western Southland Chris Crossley said some farmers had already moved to milking once a day or once every 16 hours.

"With very little rain since November, pasture covers are low and there is a shortage of supplement feed within the region," Mr Crossley said.

Federated Farmers national president Bruce Wills, of Hawkes Bay, said the organisation was anxious about the unusually dry conditions in Southland and Otago, but there had been excess rain in some regions, especially around Nelson-Golden Bay and the Bay of Plenty, and a significant area of New Zealand's pasture had benefited.

"I see that in the lush grass around the Hawkes Bay instead of the usual brown for this time of the year," he said.

• In Otago, workshops will be held at Tony and Sue McDonnell's property in Phosphate Rd at Clarendon, near Milton, on Thursday; and at the McCall family's farm in Paradise Flat Rd at Kelso, West Otago, on Friday.

helena.dereus@odt.co.nz