Southerly Winds Reduce Taranaki Pasture Growth

Taranaki experienced lower-than-usual rainfall in July and August, leaving the region drier than normal. Lauren McEldowney of AgFirst, who is based in Stratford, said colder temperatures, more frequent frosts and southerly winds combined to depress pasture growth.

In some areas, growth in late July and early August was substantially below long-term averages and below the levels recorded in the previous two seasons. Those earlier seasons were wetter and produced more grass, although saturated ground limited how much could be used. Conditions have since improved: McEldowney said soil temperatures had risen and pasture growth had increased during the two weeks before her comments.

The effects varied across Taranaki. Coastal districts, which are more exposed to wind, were hit harder than central and northern areas. Stratford is sheltered by Mount Taranaki. Reports indicated that milk production had fallen somewhat behind in August but was then broadly in line with other seasons.

Calving was progressing well, although its timing differs between parts of the region. Animal-health reports included cases of salmonella, with veterinarians assisting affected farmers. McEldowney also reported a few more cases of mastitis, but described the situation as not major and said management practices might be involved.

Farmers were also considering the possible effects of El Niño. McEldowney said dry conditions were not unusual in Taranaki, while South Taranaki could become very dry. She noted that the central area around Stratford had once been regarded as reliable through summer, a description she said applied less clearly now than it had 20 or 30 years ago.

McEldowney said farmers needed to prepare feed supplies for summer, retain reserves and establish where additional feed could be obtained and at what price. They might also consider reducing cow numbers before Christmas and following recommended management practices. Farmers were generally positive, she said, with Fonterra suppliers using a capital payout in many cases to reduce debt. The potential effects of El Niño and uncertainty surrounding the election were contributing to caution over future decisions and the implications of a possible change of government.