Rain hits harvest

In Manawatu and Horowhenua contractors have been working around the clock in any breaks in the weather and when the ground is dry enough for machinery to go on it.

Rural Contractors New Zealand president Steve Levet, who lives in Northland, says the rain has brought many problems.

Ground conditions are now similar to what he’d expect in May – wet. A lot of maize in low lying areas hasn’t been harvested yet, as farmers wait for the ground to dry out. And this delay is holding up the re-grassing of paddocks.

“Getting grass seed in at the moment is a real hit and miss affair,” Levet told Rural News.

He says Northland has gone from a drought to too much rain, and some grass seed sown will simply rot in the ground because it is too wet.

The quality of some maize harvested so far is not up to the normal high quality.

“With maize in Northland you really rely on that December rain, but in December it was dry so the maize didn’t cob up as it normally does,” Levet explains.

“The cobs weren’t as mature as they normally are because it was so dry and as a result the maize was not yielding as well as it could or should have because it was under stress from lack of moisture.”

Levet says if maize gets a good dollop of rain in December it will respond well and this will carry the plant right through to harvest.

Maize is not the only crop affected; hay crops have also been poor.