1
7 Farms duck new EU tax – for now Vol 20 No 39, October 10, 2022
View online at farmersweekly.co.nz
$4.95 Incl GST
Spring flushed by cold snap Neal Wallace & Annette Scott
NEWS
Weather
F
ORECAST fine weather cannot come quickly enough for South Island farmers who endured two snow falls within 24 hours last week. Weather Watch head forecaster Phil Duncan said the cold front, though bitter, was typical for spring in being a short, sharp event. Temperatures were forecast to have returned to double digits over the weekend but he warned there would be frosts. Duncan is expecting mild weather and warmer than average temperatures for the next three weeks. Snow up to 20cm was lying at sea level on Thursday morning, predominantly on eastern parts of Southland, Otago and Canterbury but also the lower North Island, following lighter but more extensive falls the previous day. Lambing has just started on hill and high country farms and farming leaders fear there could be significant losses. James Edgar farms at Moa Flat in West Otago and had 25cm of snow on his farm on Thursday morning and 1m-deep snow drifts. He is 80% through his lambing but said others in the area have just started. Further south, Dean Rabbidge
said most farmers have finished their lambing. His farm at Wyndham in Southland had 1cm. He said some farmers who made baleage last week may be feeding it to stock now. Central Otago missed the worst of this latest front, with Omakau farmer Andrew Paterson saying they received a light dusting on Thursday and about 2cm on Wednesday. He has just started lambing but has opted to leave stock alone rather than drive them from shelter. Ettrick orchardist Stephen Darling said the cold snap arrived at the worst possible time with trees budding and fruitlets forming, and he was preparing for several nights of fighting frost. Albury farmer Matt Simpson started lambing on Friday and was out strategically placing hay bales to provide additional shelter, which stock were using. He had 8cm of snow on Wednesday morning but despite snow flurries, paddocks were clear on Thursday and the thaw had started. It was cold and miserable, but grass cover is good on the lambing platforms with ewes looking happy enough, Mt Somers Station owner David Acland said. “Snow at this time is not ideal when you are lambing, but we are Continued page 3
Herd heads for the house West Otago dairy farmer Paul Henton was glad he put his cows in a feed barn late Wednesday night. He woke to 3cm of snow on his Heriot dairy farm on Thursday morning before putting them back on paddock to fossick for some grass. Photo: Natwick
NEWS
Voice of real estate signs off Brian Peacocke is stepping down as the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand’s rural spokesperson after over a decade in the role.
PEOPLE 24 Just 0.29% of farmers and growers have so far refused to submit their 2022 Agricultural Production Census. NEWS 8
THE RISKS ARE LESS RISKY WHEN WE’RE PART OF THE PICTURE. Moving ahead means making changes. And that usually comes with a few risks along the way. But with us as your partner, you can progress with more confidence. That’s because FMG offers the kind of specialised advice and knowledge that only comes from working alongside rural New Zealand for generations. To find out more, ask around about us. Better still, give us a call on 0800 366 466 or go to fmg.co.nz. FMG, your partners in progress.
We’re here for the good of the country.
AgResearch and Deer Industry New Zealand celebrate 50 years of scientific deer farming research. TECHNOLOGY 10
It’s the worst, wettest winter Steve Wyn-Harris can recall on farm in nearly 40 years. OPINION 22