Drought

Getting through a Dry Period

We all know dry spells and droughts can be long and relentless. In many regions, dry weather and the effects of COVID-19 restrictions have combined to create feed pressure for farmers. Now is the time to seek help and plan for the next few months. There are a range of options available to support you practically, financially, mentally, and help you maintain the welfare of your livestock.

Key Actions:

• Look after yourself, family, employees and keep an eye on your neighbours.
• Talk to trusted advisors and those who have survived this before, and make use of the help or support offered. 
• Talk to your local stock agent.  Book as early as possible; space at meat plants remains tight due to the COVID-19 disruption with shipping and markets.
• Plan for feeding your stock over the coming months. Be aware you may have extra stock to feed due to slower processing times at some meat processing plants.
• Look to increase supply of feed or reduce animal demand. 
• If buying feed – act early. Order supplementary feed now while some is available.
• Make decisions early. This will minimise the impact of the extreme dry on your business and increase the likelihood of containing any financial losses to the current season.
• Animal health and welfare - the  responsibility for the health and welfare of animals rests with the stock owner or person in charge. If you need advice, ask for it from your vet, consultant or an expert in the particular issue you’re facing

• Use irrigation water effectively and profitably.  For more details click here.

• Seek help if you’re under pressure 

Talk it through

There are many people to talk to for advice on your situation and possible options available - click on the following organisations to access their websites for more details:

• Beef + Lamb New Zealand
• DairyNZ
• Federated Farmers
• New Zealand Pork
• Deer Industry New Zealand
• MPI - Ministry of Primary Industries

​These organisations all have experienced professionals who understand the challenges and can provide advice.

NIWA Weather details - go to here

Feed Planning Support

Getting a plan in place can help give you peace of mind. Having a feed budget can help you:

• Calculate your feed demand
• Calculate your feed supply
• Investigate options to fill feed gaps
• Proactively make decisions.

A “snapshot feed plan” can be completed in 20 minutes, and there are lots of support available from farm advisers, industry organisations and specialist services

Feed Coordination Service

The National Feed Coordination Service is a free service, matching willing buyers with willing sellers. The service is actively sourcing feed to help those most in need of additional feed to get through the coming months.

The process to register your surplus feed is easy just call 0800 Farming (0800 327646) select option 2 and request a call back.

Alternately you can register online with the following links:

I have feed for sale

There is also the opportunity to register grazing with the following links:

I have grazing available

I need grazing

The feed coordination service is supported by Federated Farmers, B+LNZ, DairyNZ and MPI.

Other useful resources:

• DairyNZ extreme dry management

• Farmstrong advice when you're under the pump

If your are unsure where to start, we can supply you with free and confidential support and connect you with the services you need, whether financial, business or health-related.

Call now 0800 787 254 (RURAL HELP)