Farmers are staying positive despite the low level of rainfall on the East Coast of the North Island.
Federated Farmers says the ground is extremely hard on some parts of the coast, especially in Gisborne-Wairoa and the Hawke's Bay.
"The ground conditions in some parts of the East Coast resemble concrete. Without a decent fall of rain these two provinces will come under intense pressure around late January," says Federated Farmers spokesperson Frank Brenmuhl.
Brenmuhl says if there was heavy rain on such hard ground it could cause slips and flooding.
The dry weather could effect farmers if it continues until late January.
Brenmuhl says that farmers are preparing for a possible drought by reducing stock numbers and that Federated Farmers is being pragmatic and taking steps to preserve livelihoods as best they can.
"Together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, [we]
will be keeping an eye on conditions and will be meeting soon if
sustained rain does not fall in the next few weeks. This also
highlights the pressing need for water storage infrastructure,"
says Brenmuhl.
Brenmuhl says slow steady rain over a week and upwards of 100
millimetres is needed to soak deep into the soil in order to turn
the situation around.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Canterbury farmers suffered a short but intense hailstorm Saturday which caused damage to arable crops estimated at a cost of over $1 million.
