Hawke’s Bay sheep and beef farmers warned to monitor stock water wells

This is despite some significant rain in the region over the past month.

Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay president Jim Galloway says the availability of stock water is a problem on some farms and he knows of one well that has run dry and others that are running low.

His comments tie in with reports from the Hawke's Bay Regional Council which says, while recent rains have offered some relief, regional hydrology is still reflecting the warm and dry conditions. They add that river flows across much of the catchment remained below their long-term averages, with the exception of catchments in the north of the region where flows are near or above normal.

Driving through the region the colour of the landscape has changed from brown to green in the last month or so and Jim Galloway says the situation is variable and some areas aren't looking too bad.

"We had significant rain between Christmas and new year. On my farm we had about 70mm. Some areas had more, so in general, Hawke's Bay had above average rainfall for December and we went from brown to green and we have stayed green," he says.

Galloway says they had rain in the middle of November and more in early December. But he says the 'green look' from a distance is deceptive because the grass is very thin and very sparse.

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"Instead of a lot of grass plants per square metre, there are only a few and the grass is short. Effectively what we are experiencing is a green drought," he says.

Galloway says the green can turn to brown in a few days and the recent high temperatures and drying winds can quickly change the situation. He says the wind can suck the water out of the ground.

The regional council report also confirms what Gallway is saying. It says by the end of December, rainfall was above average for the region and even higher in southern Hawke's Bay, and ground water levels in some places are showing signs of improvement.

Jim Galloway

But the situation is far from stable and Galloway says many sheep and beef farmers have been selling stock early because they don't have the grass to feed surplus animals.

"My message to farmers is to make sensible decisions around stocking rates and keep an eye on the conditions. In particular, either check yourself or get someone with expertise to check the water level, you may need to deepen it to keep stock water going," he says.