Major shakeup for the NZ science system
The government has announced a major restructuring of the country's seven crown research institutes (CRIs), which will see them merged into three public research organisations (PROs).
MetService meteorologist James Millward says the country’s weather patterns are now on a much more even footing.
He says that will give farmers more certainty as to where they are and where they are going. Millward told Rural News that up until now, the weather has been going through something of a transitional period and the full effect of the El Nino weather pattern is likely to kick in during the coming weeks. He says this will bring some higher pressures across the North Island, resulting in prolonged dry summer weather.
Millwards adds, the good news for farmers is that conditions will be more typical, unlike last year’s weird, wet weather. He says, at present, the North Island is drying out and in terms of soil moisture the country is not far away from where it would normally be.
He says the exception is southern Wairarapa, which is particularly dry. But he adds that the expected early dry has not eventuated, with rain falling in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay and the possibility of further rains depending on what might happen with weather systems in the tropics.
“The weather could be a bit of mixed bag in the next few weeks but soon we’ll move into the normal El Nino pattern.”
Millward adds that while it’s dried out in Canterbury, the region has benefited from some of the rain that came over the ranges from the heavy downpours on the West Coast. He says some of this got into the Mackenzie Basin, which was very dry. Other dry areas are Kaikoura and Marlborough.
“Overall, it’s a drier outlook for the South Island.”
“There is risk that droughts could set in though autumn, but at the moment we are sitting pretty well right across the country in terms of soil moistures,” he explains. “So, for farmers it’s probably not so stressful as it has been.”
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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