Wednesday, 14 September 2022 07:25

The rain from hell!

Written by  Peter Burke
The wettest July in the Horowhenua for more than 75 years has caused havoc for local growers. The wettest July in the Horowhenua for more than 75 years has caused havoc for local growers.

It's been the wettest July in the Horowhenua for more than 75 years and it's causing havoc for local growers.

Terry Olsen, president of the Tararua Growers Association, which represents commercial vegetable growers on the western side of the Tararua Ranges from Otaki to Rangitikei, says there has been month upon month of challenging weather. He says conditions have been especially bad south of Levin, where rain, wind and hail have all taken their toll on crops. Olsen says this has made it very hard to get product into the marketplace in a reasonably marketable condition.

"It's been hard on people, soil, machinery and furthermore it's very disheartening and makes for interesting challenges going forward," he told Hort News.

"It's especially hard for those who are totally reliant on vegetable growing for their income."

Olsen says the first challenge was to get crop planted and then to get it established - only to find the crop inundated with rain at the wrong time. Olsen, who is a potato grower but also has a dairy farm as part of his operation, says if a crop gets ruined by the rain it's not a simple matter of replanting it straight away.

"In the case of spuds, it's about sourcing seed if you can and that's all pretty expensive. Then it's having to make decisions to either carry on or with what you are left with or go for a complete replant. These are pretty sizeable decisions."

Olsen says, while having the dairy farm provides a diversification option, that operation has also been difficult because of the rain, which has occurred around calving time. He says even if there is a dry spell, more problems could be in store between September and October have always been challenging months for growers.

According to Olsen, Covid has compounded the problem. He says they have been operating short staffed for a while now which has been an even bigger problem for vegetable growers.

"It's a reminder how challenging nature can be," he told Hort News. "The big thing is to make sure that infrastructure is maintained on farm.

"However, new regulations don't make it any easier and the challenge is trying to interpret what these will mean on the farm."

More like this

Horror rainfalls!

It will take between six to eight months for commercial growers in the Horowhenua region to fully recover from the disastrous heavy rains that hit the region in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Farmers send clear message

A cacophany of sounds - barking dogs, the roar of tractors and tooting ute horns - descended on towns and cities around the country on Friday, July 16.

FE arrives early

Facial eczema (FE) has hit Horowhenua much earlier than normal due to lots of rain and high temperatures.

Featured

National

Scanning data at your fingertips

A partnership between two technology companies in Hawke's Bay is making orchard data more easily accessible to growers using new…

Iwi eyes hort for progress

A post settlement treaty organisation in Wairoa is banking on horticulture to boost employment and income for its people.

Machinery & Products

NH unveils specialty tractor

New Holland recently showcased its new-generation T4.120 F specialty tractor, giving New Zealand customers a closer look at the winner…

Combining track and tyre

While the last fifty years has seen massive evolution and development of the humble tractor tyre, the last two decades…

Croplands goes nuts with Nelson

Croplands and Nelson Manufacturing Company Inc, a California-based manufacturer of air-blast sprayers, has announced a new distribution partnership to deliver…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

'Mea culpa'

OPINION: The Reserve Bank’s rate cut is great news, albeit a bit late, but your old mate agrees with Act…

Fast tracked

OPINION: While the Government’s Fast Track bill is copping it from all the usual suspects – opposition parties, greenies, unions…

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter