Rain gives no relief for Waikato farmers

Weekend showers in Paeroa were not enough to make up for months of dry weather.

The showers lasted just an hour. With more dry weather expected, the drought-like conditions seem relentless.

Amber Reid Farm owners in Paeroa, Natalie and Evan Smith, have one of many dairy farms feeling the strain with little grass left for their herd.

“When it does rain, all the grass that we have got that’s rank, they [stock] won’t want to eat. That means you have to give them twice as much silage just until the grass starts to come right,” Evan said.

“If you get a downpour of 40 or 50 mls they won’t want to eat the grass.

“We expected drought but it’s been very dry, a lot of wind this year. That’s what’s dried it out here.”

Due to a wet season last year followed by a good spring, many farmers were able to make enough feed supplement to see them through the tough time.

“We’ve been feeding supplements since Christmas so they’re not eating as much grass.

“They’re living off silage really.”

The rainy weather that saw most holidaymakers indoors last summer is a distant memory.

“January is normally about 90 to 100 mls. Last year we had a lot, it was a wet summer though. Last year we were spoilt.”

“This year we’ve had about 12 mls in January and about 36 in February. It hasn’t rained for a month here,” Evan said.

The heavy use of supplement feed such as silage means Amber Reid Farms has been able to keep a steady milk production.

“We’re still ahead of last year for the whole season, about 7 per cent, but for the month we’re 6 and a half down.

He said small towns would also be affected as farmers spent less.