Farming Conditions

Gisborne has had the rain it's been waiting for. Hoggets have been going through the shearing sheds in Central Otago. Lambing is underway and a minus seven degree frost on Monday had the babies… Audio

Rain has been welcomed in Hawkes Bay and in Otago farmers would like ewes to hold onto their lambs until the threat of snow passes. Audio

Bay of Plenty kiwifruit growers are finishing off winter pruning and having the end of season tidy up. With good weather across Canterbury and winter feed crops mostly finished, tractors have been… Audio

Vegetable crops are on a bit of a go-slow in the Pukekohe district because it's been so wet and in Southland farmers are doing the rounds to check for cast ewes... Audio

In Waikato a dairy consultant says it's been the best winter he can remember. A good week of weather in Canterbury has allowed cropping farmers to get on with planting spring barley. Audio

It's been wet and warm in northern parts of the North Island. Lambs are appearing in Canterbury and calving is in full swing on dairy farms. Audio

Pukekohe has had near perfect winter growing conditions and vegetables are in heavy supply. Pruning is in full swing in Marlborough's vineyards while on high country properties merinos are on winter… Audio

King Country farmers are spreading out ewes into lambing paddocks and are innoculating them before lambing. Agricultural work has ground to a halt this week while farmers wait for things to dry out in… Audio

The Pukekohe district in Auckland's south has had an unsettled week with rain and showers. Temperatures have been higher than expected in mid-July which means that crops are growing steadily. Central… Audio

Farmers in Northland are in good spirits because they've hardly had to put on their wet weather gear. Canterbury's had another amazing weather week with the temperature gauge nudging 20 degrees on… Audio

Gisborne has had good weather for picking mandarins but the frosty starts have growers nervous. Wintering stock is going well in Canterbury with no mud and great utilisation of feed. Audio

Frosts have catapulted the central North Island into winter. In Southland farmers are putting sheep onto crops but crutching has been held up by rain. Audio

A selection of farmers tell us about conditions in their part of the country and how they feel about farming. Waikato, King Country, Taupo, Canterbury, West Coast, Central Otago. Audio

Wet muddy conditions have halted work on some market gardens near Pukekohe and in the South Island, the West Coast's had its first winter frost. Audio

Rain in Waikato has been just what the doctor ordered. Pasture is growing but moisture is really needed to wet up the subsoil. It has been another stunning week in Canterbury with warm and mostly dry… Audio

Waikato dairy farms and cows are looking a lot better now than they were a month ago, and West Coast dairy cows are getting feed supplements to keep them topped up. Audio

High winds in Manawatu have seen debris blown all over farms and, in the South Island, RSE workers are busy pruning grapevines. Audio

The kumara harvest is 95 percent complete and growers have had a dream run. In the South Island pasture growth in Marlborough is up 30 to 40 percent on usual for the time of year. Audio

Taranaki has had cold southerly winds and heaps of rain. Dairy farmers are mainly still milking but will dry off earlier than they had hoped. Pasture growth remains higher than normal in Canterbury… Audio