Surplus baleage, straw and hay has been imported from Central Otago and further north to help meet the feed shortage in Southland during the winter.
Large trucks laden with bales have been a common sight on Central Otago roads.
Last season's region-wide drought in Southland meant a shortage of feed and hay because many farmers were unable to make the volume they required.
Reid Gare, of Springvale, a Central Rural Services contractor and former Rural Contractors New Zealand zone four chairman, said he had seen baleage and hay being trucked past his gate for the past couple of months, on its way down south.
Drought and poor weather last summer had prevented the expected usual volume of feed being made.
Mr Gare said he had heard of about $100 or more being paid for baleage and about $70 or more for a bale of hay at auction.
''A lot of people are watching their budget and are a little bit nervous,'' he said.
''Mycoplasma bovis has also had an influence with some guys who had their stock killed, and some kept stock when they weren't planning to.
''However, now things are starting to grow.''
Federated Farmers Southland dairy chairman Hadleigh Germann said baleage, straw and hay had been imported into Southland from late autumn and through winter.
''This is largely due to the regionally declared drought in summer that Southland experienced,'' Mr Germann said.
''Although we had a relatively kind autumn, there wasn't a lot of surplus feed made in Southland.
''Farmers went into the winter with less feed on hand due to the large amounts of supplement fed in the summer.
''Also there has been a higher than normal demand for supplement over winter due to grazing disruption caused by M. bovis and also higher supplement levels needed for grazing crops involved with the HT swede mix-up.''
Baleage had come down from Central Otago as well as other parts of Otago.
''Straw has come from Canterbury.
''Prices for baleage that I have heard range from $110-$130 a bale and straw has been $80 a bale.''
Fortunately the weather for calving had been very good, which had reduced the amount of supplement that farmers had had to feed.
''Also the forecasted payouts for last season and this season have meant that farmers have been able to afford to pay higher-than-normal prices,'' he said.
