Wednesday, 01 February 2012 14:07

Make most of the rain- DairyNZ

Written by 

Despite good levels of rainfall throughout the region, dairy farmers in South Otago and Southland are still managing difficult dry conditions.

DairyNZ regional leader for Otago/Southland, Miranda Hunter, says most farmers have short-term plans in place for the next few weeks, but autumn and winter will be a challenge.

"Pasture growth rates are improving and are now ranging from 19 to 40-plus kgDM/ha/day, but supplements are still being fed on the majority of farms," says Hunter.

She says dairy farmers need to focus on their crops and evaluate what any shortfall means going into winter.

"This has been a challenging season to date, the majority of farmers will be looking at production below budget and increased supplement costs. Good planning will ensure there is not a carry-over impact to next season."

While early winter crops are in a far better position than later crops, DairyNZ recommends farmers seek advice now from their technical field rep to develop a plan and deal with any weed and pests to give plants the best chance.

"A lot of larger plants are carrying pests which are eating new growth as it comes through. Pest management is important," says Hunter.

Farmers are also encouraged to develop a plan for winter, to help prevent the impact of this summer's dry conditions spilling over into next season.

"Identify potential winter crop yield deficit and check with graziers regarding their situation and realistically how many cows they will be able to take. The earlier a plan is put in place, the more options are available."

DairyNZ recommends completing a winter and spring feed budget.

"Calculate how much supplement will be required for autumn, winter and spring and put a plan in place to source it," says Hunter.

"Winter feed is likely to be tight, therefore putting weight on over winter cannot be relied on. Manage body condition score (BCS) over the autumn to dry off at target BCS."

To find out when the next DairyNZ discussion group is held in your area, visit the events section of the DairyNZ website at www.dairynz.co.nz/events. For more information on dealing with dry conditions, visit www.dairynz.co.nz/drysummer.

More like this

Farmers urged to prepare as heavy rain looms

With adverse weather set to rain down on the Top of the South, the Bay of Plenty and parts of Northland, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says farmers, foresters, and growers need to prepare for possible challenges.

Foot-in-mouth

OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left them wishing they had kept their mouth firmly closed.

Featured

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.

B+LNZ launches AI assistant for farmers

Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.

National

Machinery & Products

JDLink Boost for NZ farms

Connectivity is widely recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, but it is now being overcome through the…

New generation Defender HD11

The all-new 2026 Can-Am Defender HD11 looks likely to raise the bar in the highly competitive side-by-side category.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Buttery prize

OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…

Gene Bill rumours

OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter