Drought Update - Northland
Welcome to the weekly update from the Northland drought committee for the dairy, horticulture, sheep and beef sectors.
Current Situation:
 0 - 40mm rainfall over the last 7 days. Variable as can be seen from the map of the last 15 days rainfall - to 6/04 (sourced from NIWA).
- Showers forecast over the next week
- Facial eczema: Spore counts have eased slightly with cooler weather. Go to www.rd1.com or www.meatandwoolnz.com to get the latest spore counts and talk to your vets!
- Water supply: Stock need to have access to water. Check stock regularly, especially if grazing off
- Pasture growth rates are low at 5 - 15kgDM/ha/day
- Financial: Many farmers have commented that they don't know where to start when managing their financial situation. Templates are available on the NRC website and DairyNZ website that will help farmers to work logically towards the completion of a full year's budget/cashflow.
- Available assistance:
- The RST Ag Recovery Facilitators (now 4 available) provide 1:1 drought visits. To book a visit contact Helen Moodie on 0800 778 667.
Events:
Let your colleagues and clients know about these drought management events:
Rural Support Northland
20th April: Beat the drought blues. Whangaroa Fun Golf Day. 10am to 2pm. Sponsored by Rural Support Northland. For all drought affected farmers. Join us to relax and enjoy a fun 9 hole game of golf. Win prizes for interesting shots or just come and join us at the Whangaroa Golf Club for a delicious BBQ lunch at 1pm. RSVP: by 14 April so we can be sure to satisfy your appetites: 0800 778 667(0800 RST Northland).
Dairy:
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For DairyNZ events in the upper North Island click here. |
Sheep and Beef:
If farmers in any area feel the need for additional support - with feed budgeting, financial budgeting or strategies to recover from the drought - please contact Malcolm McCallum 027 2315680.
For those who did not get to the seminars last month, drought packs with useful information are available.
For other drought strategies visit www.meatandwoolnz.com or Northland Regional Council website.
Key Messages:
Below are key messages to help you manage your way through the drought:
Dairy:
- Milk production is down 3% for the season, 45% daily and 43% monthly. Estimated 30%+ herds dried off
- Dry cows: make sure you offer your dry cows maintenance feed (7.5kgDM eaten for Friesian cows) and extra for condition score gain if intending to put on weight
- For more information visit www.dairynz.co.nz/drought
Case Study Farm - Roger and Jane Hutchings, Okaihau
Farm Situation: Collected 6 April 2010:
| Stocking Rate |
Kg MS/cow |
Kg MS/ha |
APC Kg DM/ha |
Rotation
Length (days) |
Growth rates
Kg DM/ha |
|
2 |
1.1 |
2.2 |
1,700 |
40 |
20 |
Targets - for calving (26 July calving date):
- Average pasture cover: 2100kgDM/ha
- Cow condition: 5 on all cows
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Targets - for 1 June:
Average pasture cover: 2000kgDM/ha
Cow condition: 5 for early calving cows and 4.5 for later calving cows |
Summary:
- Season to date 4.5% ahead due to milking 70 more cows. 184 000kgMS to date vs. start of season target of 240000kgMS
- Currently milking 390 cows plus 75 dries on 230ha (all other stock off the milking platform). All baleage and turnips are finished. Milkers being offered/cow 4kg maize (plus maize mix), 6kg PKE and 5kg pasture. Dries being offered 2kg hay and 7 kg pasture
- Peak cows 700 on 270ha
- Received 15mm rainfall on Sun and Mon
- Following the cows with nitrogen @35kgN.
What happened last week
- Maize harvested 31/3 (approx 160T) and maize feeding started 7/4
- Pasture offered only at night and cows return to same paddock for supplement the next morning
- Drying off according to SAMM plan using Bovaclox for cows over 150 000 or heifers over 120 000. Cepravin for repeat cases and high SCC.
Plan for the next 2 weeks
- Regrassing last turnip paddocks with Bealey direct drilled and Kopu II and Tribute clovers broadcast (using treated seed)
- Continue to follow cows with nitrogen @35kgN
- Undersow patchy pastures by direct drilling @12kg/ha Ohau AR37 (75% perennial) so we can get more than one season out of the pasture
- Maize feeding started on the 7th April and will continue
- Maintain round length at 40 days and 24 hour grazing.
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Sheep and Beef:
- Feed: The feed situation is really starting to bite now for many farms. Prioritise stock mobs again to ration feed: feed productive stock and destock any passengers
- Budgets: It's repetitive BUT feed and cash flow budgets need to be reviewed continually as no effective rain is forecast for another week at least. Extend cash flow budgets out to 12-18 months to identify full financial impact of the drought
- For more information visit www.meatandwoolnz.com
Case Study Farm - John Blackwell, Dargaville
What’s happening now: As at 6th April
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Feed demand is sitting around 11 – 12 kgDM/ha/day, compared with around 16 kgDM/ha/day normally (40% less feed demand).
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Pasture growth rates are less than 10 kgDM/ha, so supplement is keeping the farm going. Even after 60 days of no grazing the lack of pasture recovery is alarming.
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Liveweight gain: One mob of cattle, offered high levels of silage and paspalum, had zero liveweight gain which is worrying.
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Rotation length: I am aiming to maintain a long rotation with the cattle (around 60 days) to try and give the grass a chance to recover, using silage to help stretch the rotation out.
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Ewe mating: The ewes are still getting silage but it’s going to run out in 2 weeks. The ram has been out for 2 weeks, so I’m trying to make the most of the period before the silage runs out.
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Rainfall has been welcome (13mm on Monday), but just not enough to get the grass growing (we need another 200mm!).
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New pastures: The crop paddocks are getting their final grazing and being sprayed out now. They’ll be drilled in the next week with treated seed. Treated seed seems to be the safe bet this year, it’s certainly cheap insurance from my perspective.
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Water is becoming the major issue. My dams are holding out, but people nearby are being forced to suck water out of rivers to keep going. Dams are drying up quickly, even when they are not being used, due to evaporation. This seems to be happening right around area. Could be related to the groundwater levels being so low. |
Horticulture:
Useful Links:
- To view the previous Northland drought updates click on the links below:
- To read more about managing the drought in Northland click on the links below:
Contacts:
If you require any further information on the Northland drought, please contact the relevant person below:
    
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