Otago stares another big dry in the eye

Environment Southland has warned that river levels are falling.

OTAGO farming leaders are poised to seek the declaration of an adverse event should dry weather continue to engulf the province.

Otago Federated Farmers president Mark Patterson said conditions have worsened in the past couple of weeks, and discussions on declaring an adverse event have been held with the Ministry for Primary Industries.

“We’re not there yet but it’s looking really close, so we’re getting the wheels in motion,” Patterson said.

The worst-hit areas are a coastal belt stretching south of Dunedin to South Otago, though there are pockets elsewhere in the province too.

If declared, this will be the third consecutive summer adverse event for Otago.

Southland is also drying out but an exceptional spring and early summer for most of the province has ensured abundant feed stocks and provided winter feed crops with an excellent start.

Southland Federated Farmers vice-president Bernadette Hunt said leaders are watching closely as coastal regions are especially dry, but compared to Otago or saturated areas of the North Island, it has been a typical summer.

January rainfall in Southland has been about 40% of its long-term average rainfall and temperatures are much warmer than usual.

Large parts of Otago have also had very little rain, with Balclutha recording about 35mm since the start of December.

Patterson said while some areas have had a reprieve from regular thunder events, there is little respite forecast.

Tami Sargeant, the Otago Regional Council’s compliance manager, said rivers are running low with NIWA forecasting the next five weeks will be drier than normal.

“Currently there are four rivers where water permit holders have had to comply with consent conditions to cease taking water, from the Waiwera River, Taieri River, along the Maniototo section, Shag River and also the Waitahuna River.”

Water levels in several other rivers are getting close to minimum flows.

Environment Southland integrated and implementation manager Nick Perham said water levels across Southland are lower than average for this time of year and continuing to decline, but the council does not have restrictions in place.

Weatherwatch chief forecaster Phil Duncan described current weather patterns as “very messy”, saying there will be little reprieve for the south from the dry weather. Any rainfall events are likely to deliver only a few millimetres.

The West Coast has also been extremely dry, but got a slight reprieve this week with a thunderburst bringing up to 30mm.

Sparring with the rain gauge once more

THE dry summer started to bite Matthew Korteweg’s South Otago farm three months earlier than last year.

The Otago Federated Farmers dairy vice-chair, who farms at Stirling, switched to 16-hour milking at the New Year.

He said the last rainfall of more

Duncan said a forecast wet weather front due this weekend could bring a further 200mm.

He said spillover to Southland, Otago and Canterbury is likely to be about 10mm.

Hunt said an ideal spring had ensured winter crops in Southland were established. Plenty of supplementary feed was made and there is ample on the market. Arable crops could do with some moisture to help grain fill. She said space for stock at meat works has improved.

Alliance Group’s of manager than 10mm was about five weeks ago. He moved quickly as his farm dried, extending his grazing rotation and feeding out supplements to preserve cow condition and feed. livestock and shareholder services, Danny Hailes, said Alliance is keeping a close eye on the Otago and Southland regions.

Korteweg said a late spring enabled him to harvest supplements but in recent weeks pasture growth has fallen to 35kg/ DM/day, well below the 55kg/DM/ day he needs.

“We are ramping up capacity at our plants so we can take livestock off farm should the current weather patterns in Otago and Southland continue.”

The co-operative is able to move livestock around its plant network and has contingency plans for farmers needing to move stock.

Silver Fern Farms chief executive Simon Limmer said climatic conditions are compounded by disruptions to labour and absenteeism at its South Island sites.

“We farm in a reliable area so we know it will not take long to turn around once conditions improve,” Korteweg said.

Otago Federated Farmers dairy chair Luke Kane said rainfall has been periodic and varied around the province.

A recent thunder event delivered 39mm to an area of West Otago 5km from his farm, but gave him only 4mm.

“This resulted in significant demand for local processing space in the South,” he wrote in a supplier newsletter.

“Backlogs grew due to the dry weather conditions and our constrained capacity. However we have adapted and capacity is now back to planned levels.”

Limmer said sites are maximising overtime, but in some regions it will take time to work through backlogs from December and January.