University of Waikato research reveals 2050 drought threats
New research could help farmers prepare for a future where summer rainfall is increasingly unpredictable and where drought risk is rising, no matter what.
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.
According to Federated Farmers Dairy chair in the province, Sam Ebbett, it's going to be a tough winter for some people.
He says the effects of the drought will be long lasting and everyone has been using lots of supplements to get through the past five months. It could be September before things start to come right.
"Sure, everything is starting to green up and growing grass is less of a talking point, but certainly I wouldn't say the drought was over," he told Dairy News.
One of the worries now, says Ebbett, is that some farmers have used up supplements that they would normally save for winter, and the challenge now is finding feed to make up for what has been used. He says it appears there is nothing available in the Manawatu.
He says up until now, feed was sourced from Hawke's Bay and Tararua districts but by all accounts there is nothing available from there either.
"So, if you haven't got any extra supplement in terms of grass supplement from somewhere in the country, I'd say you are up the creek at the moment," he says.
While the coastal areas remain badly affected, inland areas of Taranaki, especially those on the eastern side of the mountain are not affected.
Rural Support Trust coordinator in Taranaki, Marcian Paurini, says while the number of calls to the trust have been low this month, she expects this to increase later this month and into June as contract milkers in particular start to get a better handle on their financial position.
She says many face a situation where all their savings are gone from their last milk cheque.
Paurini says they will have to have documented proof of their financial status such as statements relating to any milk production drop due to the early culling of cows and whether the farm moved to once a day milking.
"When we have that evidence, we will be able to support them," she says.
Paurini says she has three facilitators out in the field helping drought-affected farmers to apply for job seeker support. But she says there are some barriers to getting this support - namely both partners need to be working on the farm and that any easily realisable assets need to be sold.
At the same time, Paurini says she's been organising some training for rural professionals in the area of 'psychological first aid' - in other words, building up skills for people who are likely to help others who are facing stressed caused by the drought.
Like Ebbett, she says sourcing supplements is difficult and she's put out requests to farmers in Wairararapa to see if they can help.
Overall, Paurini says people in Taranaki are in good spirits now that the grass is starting to grow and adds that there is usually a 'flush' in May, which means that some will be able to take a cut of silage before the winter sets in.
Applications have now opened for the 2026 Meat Industry Association scholarships.
Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) says it is backing aspiring dairy farmers through a new initiative designed to make the first step to farm ownership or sharemilking easier.
OPINION: While farmers are busy and diligently doing their best to deal with unwanted gasses, the opponents of farming - namely the Greens and their mates - are busy polluting the atmosphere with tirades of hot air about what farmers supposedly aren't doing.
OPINION: For close to eight years now, I have found myself talking about methane quite a lot.
The Royal A&P Show of New Zealand, hosted by the Canterbury A&P Association, is back next month, bigger and better after the uncertainty of last year.
Claims that farmers are polluters of waterways and aquifers and 'don't care' still ring out from environmental groups and individuals. The phrase 'dirty dairying' continues to surface from time to time. But as reporter Peter Burke points out, quite the opposite is the case. He says, quietly and behind the scenes, farmers are embracing new ideas and technologies to make their farms sustainable, resilient, environmentally friendly and profitable.
OPINION: Voting is underway for Fonterra’s divestment proposal, with shareholders deciding whether or not sell its consumer brands business.
OPINION: Politicians and Wellington bureaucrats should take a leaf out of the book of Canterbury District Police Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.