Farming Conditions

The East Coast suffered more slips and roading damage from former Cyclone Fili, but nearly all other regions of New Zealand would rather welcome some rain - just not too much. Audio

It's been a bit of a slow start for the early green kiwifruit harvest in Bay of Plenty with warm nights and mornings and some Southland dairy farmers are drying their herds off well over a month early… Audio

Stock are getting through broken fences on sodden farms in the North Island and gobbling feed normally shut up for the lean winter months while in Southland and parts of Otago no substantial rain has… Audio

Stock are pushing a mouthful of feed into the ground every step they take on the East Coast after downpours this week and in dry South Otago, some sheep farmers are having to tup ewes on supplementary… Audio

Conditions on Horowhenua dairy farms are challenging enough to keep people on their toes. It's been nearly a month since the last rainfall. Grape harvesting's kicked into gear this week in… Audio

In the Pukekohe district the fine weather is ideal for kiwifruit harvesting but vegetable crops are still relying on irrigation. Contactors in Central Otago are doing a third cut of lucence and lambs… Audio

Cool and damp conditions in Gisborne have been good for leafy crops but not so good for grapes and squash which love the hot and dry over ripening. On the West Coast a farmer at Hari Hari has been… Audio

Rain and now sun mean grass growth has been phenomenal around the country but the grain and seed harvest in Canterbury have suffered. Audio

The weather in Taranaki has calmed down and farms are drying out after storms two weekends in a row. The early variety Smitten, Breeze and Gala apples are being picked and packed for export in the… Audio

Significant rain has caused damage on farms in parts of the country but elsewhere it has been welcomed. Audio

Waikato is teetering on the edge of a drought and grape crops are looking bountiful in Marlborough. Audio

Nets are going on in a Hawke's Bay vineyard. Grapes are at or just past the veraison stage. In Canterbury there are large areas of grass seed crops cut waiting for warm dry weather for harvesting. Audio

Manawatu and Rangitikei farmers will spend much of summer cleaning up the mess after this week's flooding, and in the south, boysenberry crops have suffered in the wet. Audio

Shearers are running behind in King Country because they haven't been able to get dry sheep and Marlborough winegrowers are keeping a close eye out for black spot and powdery mildew. Audio

Pukekohe's potatoes are being harvested and Marlborough's pear crop is looking light so very little thinning's required. Audio

Hot, windy weather has been very drying for Hawke's Bay and in Nelson, the bees have been taken out of gold kiwifruit blocks and are now in with the green. Audio

Rain and hot weather has split cherries in Hawkes Bay. Southland's had a stunning week for getting crops in the ground, Audio

Damaging winds around Opotiki in the Bay of Plenty have blown over shelter trees in kiwifruit orchards and whipped flowers off the vines. On the West Coast of the South Island mating is going well on… Audio

On Country Life, a wrap of farming conditions around NZ; Farm talk with Benthem Farms in Michigan and Vanya Maw has been running Wyenova Organics since 1992 and farms just about anything edible that… Audio