West Coast Monitor Farm

Westland has some unique challenges such as high rainfall and seasonal dry peroids which are variable across the region. Westland has now been collecting data for 10 years and continues to building on the information currently available.

This project funded by Westland Milk Products, DairyNZ, CRV Ambreed, ARL-Ravensdown and Rabobank aims to generate reliable pasture growth and quality, and soil temperature information, over the next 12 months, on two commercial dairy farms in Westland.

Farm walks schedule for this season are weekly from August to May, and monthly over the winter period.

Each week we will provide a Weekly Summary of information from the following regions:

Buller: Mawheraiti (Stu and Deb Bland), Westland: Kowhitirangi (Anna and Jeremy Hart).

Expanded farm summary for the week ending 9 October 2019

CO comment 

After a couple of beauty sunny days last weekend, it has been followed by a week of intense rain for most of the region, especially south of Greymouth where totals of 400mm+ have been recorded. Temperatures have been milder but still soils are water-logged and low sunshine hours are resulting in poor grass growth rates.

Farmers are continuing to hold round lengths tight the best they can, adding supplement into the cow’s diet to make up short fall. Production and cow condition have been impacted by this harsh combination of all elements affecting farms.

Calving is over or down to single digits for most farms now. Calves have also had a check in growth rates given the spring conditions. Keep feeding them milk, meal and/or hay and ensure not to wean until have been weighed and reaching industry target weights. It’s easier to do the maintenance on calves now than wean early and spend time and resources trying to pull them up to targets without milk in their diet later.

There is a round of discussion groups coming up across the region over the next couple of weeks, talking cows, grass, current situations on farms, the Freshwater package, what’s instore for the area from DairyNZ, and much more so take a look at the link below and get along to an event near you.

https://www.dairynz.co.nz/events/?region=5454

Reminder that we encourage all farmers to make a submission on the proposed Essential Freshwater Package.

In your submission, you can include comments on what you agree with and what you disagree with. If you disagree with a proposal, do you have ideas for an alternative which could be effective? You can also include comments about what you are already doing on your farm to improve water quality. Details of what is in DairyNZ’s submission should be available from October 17^th.

Submissions close on October 31 and can be made at https://www.dairynz.co.nz/environment/in-your-region/essential-freshwater-package/

If you would like to discuss the process around submissions or any concerns about what this may mean for your business feel free to contact DairyNZ at https://www.dairynz.co.nz/contact-us/regional-teams/?region=6803

Farm Summary

 NB: pasture quality data are for 1 sample collected from each farm

 Previous Weekly Summaries

 2019

2018

2017

2016