Tuesday, 12 December 2023 14:55

Things are looking pretty good!

Written by  Peter Burke
The situation on farm is pretty good in terms of grass growth. The situation on farm is pretty good in terms of grass growth.

DairyNZ's general manager of farm performance, Sarah Speight says while things are looking pretty good on farm, there is still concern about what the future might hold financially.

For example, she says while the forecast farmgate milk price is reasonably positive now, many farmers are worried about what might happen should this drop to $6/kgMS in June next year. She says that would be the time when interest rates would be reviewed and that, coupled with ongoing rises in the cost of fuel and other inputs, would really put the squeeze on some people.

Overall, Speight says the situation on farm is pretty good in terms of grass growth and crops. The exception to this she says is the East Coast and Hawke's Bay which were badly hit by Cyclone Gabrielle and where farmers are still repairing pasture and infrastructure on their farms.

"But in other parts of the country silage making is taking place and supplement levels are nearing normal. Remember that last year was hard in terms of making supplement," she says.

In recent weeks rain has made this a challenge, but Speight says they have been told by NIWA that the weather will be dry for the next four weeks so 'wait for the dry' is the message. But she warns farmers to leave sufficient grass behind so that pastures can recover if the dry conditions continue for too long.

One thing that Speight says she's noticed this season is that several farmers are using deferred grazing as a means of conserving pasture - something she says was common practice many years ago but is suddenly becoming fashionable again.

Sarah Speight FBTW

Sarah Speight, DairyNZ.

"In terms of milk production, most people are playing catch-up because the early season production was lower than usual, except for Southland and Canterbury. Overall the South Island has done well, and after a slow start the North Island is now approaching normal," she says.

Finally, Speight says with all the uncertainty that is still about, people are stressed and scratchy and mental health is something DairyNZ has on its radar to deal with.

Other issues such as education and the need for better infrastructure is high on the needs list for farmers and their families. For many it's a waiting and hoping game to see how much the new Government can do to sort things out in a reasonable time frame.

More like this

DairyNZ thanks farm staff

August 6 marks Farm Worker Appreciation Day, a moment to recognise the dedication and hard mahi of dairy farm workers across Aotearoa - and DairyNZ is taking the opportunity to celebrate the skilled teams working on its two research farms.

Editorial: Getting RMA settings right

OPINION: The Government has been seeking industry feedback on its proposed amendments to a range of Resource Management Act (RMA) national direction instruments.

Featured

Hort industry dishes out awards

Research and healthcare initiatives, leadership and dedication to the sector have been recognised in the 2025 Horticulture Industry Awards.

Manuka honey trader posts sour results

Manuka honey trader Comvita slumped to a $104 million net loss last financial year, reflecting prolonged market disruption, oversupply and pricing volatility.

Poultry industry, Govt sign landmark biosecurity deal

The Government has struck a deal with New Zealand's poultry industry, agreeing how they will jointly prepare for and respond to exotic poultry diseases, including any possible outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI).

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Dreams aren't plans

OPINION: Milking It reckons if you're National, looking at recent polls, the dream scenario is that the elusive economic recovery…

Fatberg

OPINION: Sydney has a $12 million milk disposal problem.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter