increase font size
Dairy farms hit by recent floods in the lower North Island are slowly drying out according to DairyNZ.
The regional leader for the area, James Muwunganirwa, told Dairy News there are regional pockets still with problems, but by and large the water is seeping away. The main damage appears to have been to fences and races.
“The water that was sitting on the pasture was clean so there wasn’t a lot of silt. The water hasn’t been on the pasture for a long time so there won’t be a great need for pasture renovation in those areas. The main challenge will be grazing those pastures that are wet.”
Muwunganirwa says farmers will have be careful when grazing wet pastures to limit pugging damage.
Meanwhile Federated Farmers Dairy chairman Andrew Hoggard who lives in the region says some farms in Manawatu and Rangitikei have been badly damaged. Some have lost most of their supplementary feed. The challenge for some will be with calving not far away.
“All the Federated Farmers provincial presidents have been meeting and organising help for farmers. Fonterra’s rapid response team has worked very well assisting their shareholders and DairyNZ has been out there giving feed budgeting advice.”
Hoggard says it hasn’t been easy with communications down and just getting information in to work out who needs help and how urgently. His experience suggests farmers are often on their own for the first days until help arrives, unless it is critical, like cows needing to be moved from floodwaters.
Hoggard says the mission can be trying to prioritise who needs help first.
A tsunami of memories hit the tiny Manawatū township of Bulls earlier this month where 300 people gathered to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Flock House - an iconic former agricultural training facility.
OPINION: Kia ora and a warm welcome to everyone making a living off the land, contributing to our regional and national well-being. For regulars who make Field Days, a 'must attend', it's welcome back!
Red meat farmers want the Government to urgently commit to road repairs in isolated Hawke’s Bay and Tairawhiti farming communities.
Farmers want the Government to deploy the army to deter crime in rural areas of Coromandel, East Cape and Hawke's Bay.
WE ALL have to chip in to help farmers recover, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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.
