3 Farmers need wool discipline Vol 19 No 28, July 27, 2020
farmersweekly.co.nz
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From famine to flood Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz
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ETWEEN 12 and 15 Northland dairy farms did not have their milk picked up as scheduled during mid-July’s torrential rainfall and floods, Fonterra regional manager Mike Borrie said. Most of the farms were in the Kaeo district and collections resumed for all farms within two days. Borrie said 25% of the province’s 900 dairy farms were winter milking some or all of their cows after autumn calving. As of July 22, there were 577 farms being picked up, or 64% of the total, as spring calving progressed. Farmers need 400 litres of milk in the vat before pick-up begins and until that time milk usually goes to calves. There is no colostrum collection in Northland. Fonterra’s Kauri plant north of Whangarei is operating one dryer a little ahead of the processing resumption programme and Maungaturoto will start up shortly. Fonterra’s nearby Jordan Valley dairy farm at Kauri has not started sending milk and has flood disruptions in the Hikurangi Flood Control Scheme. “Before the storm and the floods, Northland farmers were recovering from the drought and getting back into required pasture cover,” Borrie said.
RESILIENT: Hikurangi dairy farmer Geoff Crawford had to send away 450 wintermilking cows and faces resowing up to 200ha. Photo: James Keith BlackHawk Film
“Further setbacks will affect many districts, especially around the Hikurangi scheme, Maungakahia river and the Tangiteroria-Tangowahine areas on the Wairua river. “They are going to have feed pinches and a coordinated effort is underway to assist.” Federated Farmers Northland vice-president, Colin Hannah, said the adverse events committee had met and organised some relief measures. Territory manager for the federation, Murray Lynch, was door-knocking in the floodaffected areas and asking
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about damage and needs. He was assisted by Fonterra’s area managers. People who need help should also call the Rural Support 0800 787 254. “We know there is no supplementary feed available in the north so our advice is to feed PKE and stand-off cows,” Hannah said. It was going to take 21 days for the floodwaters to drain, unless there was more heavy rainfall. Northland president John Blackwell said the flooding came after the region’s most-severe drought and pastures had only
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begun growing about two months ago. Therefore, farmers had very little in the way of reserves or grass suitable for grazing and would have to resow paddocks that stayed under water for any length of time. FMG said it has received about 130 claims with the majority for damage to houses and buildings, contents and vehicles. Local managers and assessors had been on the ground since July 18. FMG had contacted over 4000 clients either in person or by email.
Before the storm and the floods, Northland farmers were recovering from the drought and getting back into required pasture cover. Mike Borrie Fonterra regional manager MORE: P4
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