increase font size
Emergency feed carrying messages of hope bound for Hawke’s Bay.
With the drought reaching a crisis level in Central Hawkes Bay with supplementary feed almost non-existent, farmers in the Wairarapa have answered the call for help.
Farmers Sophie and Dan Hansen got working on social media and by Monday last week more than 720 bales of baleage had been shipped to Hawkes Bay.
One of those who donated feed was Karen Williams who’s the chairperson of Federated Farmers Arable section. She and her husband have a mixed cropping and sheep and beef finishing operation near the town of Gladstone.
They gave five bales and also a tonne of grain. She says the social media response was great and people who donated bales wrote messages on them to the farmers who would eventually receive the feed.
“It’s just what we do in rural communities. When you see someone struggling you give generously to your country cousins. The combination of COVID and drought has been very tough for people and that’s why we look after each other. It’s about sharing the love,” she says.
When buying supplementary feeds, farmers need to consider the entire package on offer – service, freight and all the components in a feed mix – not just focus on the price of the cheapest component – palm kernel meal, according to J. Swap Stockfoods sales manager Joe Hardman.
The grass may be growing again in the drought-stricken coastal area of Taranaki, but the outlook for many farmers there is far from rosy.
Limping towards the end of the season is how Richard Walker describes the situation he's facing due to prolonged drought in coastal areas of Taranaki.
Many contract milkers in badly drought affected regions around the country are coming under severe financial stress and farm owners are being urged to help them through a bad patch until the start of the new season.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Ministry for Primary Industries' situation outlook for primary industries report (SOPI) makes impressive reading.
Sheep and beef farmers Matt and Kristin Churchward say using artificial intelligence (AI) to spread fertiliser on their sprawling 630ha farm is a game changer for their business.
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being encouraged to cast their votes in the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board directors' election.
A unique discovery by a Palmerston North science company, Biolumic, looks set to revolutionise the value and potential of ryegrass and the secret is the application of ultraviolet (UV) light.
A New Zealand company is redefining the global collagen game by turning New Zealand sheepskin into a world-class health product.
With further extreme weather on the way, ANZ Bank is encouraging farmers and business owners impacted by the recent extreme weather and flooding to seek support if they need it.
OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.
