increase font size
DairyNZ Southern regional leader Ollie Knowles.
Feed budgeting is the big issue for Southland farmers coming out of the early February floods, according to Ollie Knowles, DairyNZ regional leader for Southland and South Otago.
Knowles said it was hard to describe the level and impact of the floods because they were broadly spread across Southland and into South Otago, yet quite localised in impact.
“So, for example, in Mataura Island and the lower reaches of the Mataura catchment – huge impact down there,” he told Rural News. “Then there’s also been quite a large level of scouring of the rivers and redepositing of gravel or laneways up in the upper reaches of the Mataura, around Riversdale and Mandeville.”
Following the initial shock of the event, Knowles said the discussion was now turning to the longer-term effects, around making sure that there’s enough crop on hand to carry stock through winter, or to transition animals onto winter crop feed.
“You can’t simply just take an animal off pasture and put them straight onto another food source. You need to actually slowly transition them.
“With regards to that feed being taken out by either flood waters or being scoured out by the velocity of the water flying down the river, those crops will need to be replaced or potentially just patched up.
“But considering how late the season was already in terms of how wet and cold it’s been for this current season, crops are already behind.
Meanwhile, a third meeting was set up by Federated Farmers and FMG at the Waimumu Southern Field Days site, focussed on updates from the Rural Support Trust, the insurance perspective and other concerns around ruined baleage and silage.
“We’ve managed to capture a number of farmers’ contact details who are still interested in follow-up help or services from DairyNZ’s standpoint,” said Knowles.
“Most of that’s actually focusing around feed budgeting. We will try to get out and do one-on-one calls with farmers who are really in need and start understanding where that deficit of feed is, or is starting to occur.”
Knowles said the initial effects for the region’s dairy farmers included milk loss, with between 100 and 150 farms unable to have their milk picked up in the first 24 hours. Then there were several days when roads were closed and tankers were unable to make it onto farms.
At the peak of the flood, a number of dairy farmers considered drying off, primarily concerned at animal care and welfare.
However, those still milking may now be recording lower yields because cows are stressed. Simply relocating stock to a new property would be stressful, said Knowles.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
After 20 years of milking cows, Northland farmer Greg Collins is ready to step into the governance side of dairy.
For some Canterbury teenagers, their career is being shaped by hands-on experience in a sector they are passionate about - dairy farming.
Dairy farmers will be paying a new levy rate of 4.5c/kgMS - an extra 0.9c/kgMS - to industry-good body DairyNZ from June 1 this year.
DairyNZ has set a new levy rate of 4.5c/kgMS from 1 June 2025 and aims to keep the levy at no more than this rate for a minimum of three years.
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…
OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.
