Rnz: On The Farm

Farmers In Waikato say they don't want any more rain for some time as July had double the usual amount. Calving is well underway In Southland and cows are munching their way through beet and swede fodder crops.

Dairy farmers near Tauranga say their paddocks are drying off nicely during drier weather this week and in Southland ewes are being moved onto crops before lambing next month.

Around Taumaranui it's been time to get firewood stacked in the shed between showers. Scanning's done and lambing starts about mid August so the ewes are being moved to their set paddocks. Calving is going well in Southland but winter is only half way through and farmers are wondering whether they need to buy in more feed.

Wet rules around the country, with good dumpings of snow on higher altitude South Island properties.

Sheep and beef farmers In Northland are dealing with sodden ground and surface water up to seven centimetres high. Southland farmers say they missed the worst of this week's bad weather and some early lambs are already skipping around paddocks.

Farmers in Wairarapa have been crutching and watching ewes. Conditions underfoot have dried out in Canterbury so stock are utilising fodder crops well.

Northland soils are extremely wet so dairy farmers are continuing to stand cows off pastures where possible. Central Otago farmers are shifting breaks and feeding out stock and shearing is underway on half-bred sheep.

A farmer on the East Coast has just finished pregnancy scanning ewes, while some of the very early flocks are starting to lamb. Cows in Southland have settled on winter crops and sheep are break feeding on grass and getting a top up of sheep nuts or oats.

Many farms in the North Island are drenched after all the rain and heavy money's being paid at Canterbury bull sales.

Ewe pregnancy scanning results are down in King Country but well up in Wairarapa and some farmers have stopped looking at the rain gauge in the Nelson region, it's been so wet.

Hawke's Bay had a 23 degree day on June the first and Balclutha farmers have been reaching for their stubbies - it's been very warm there too.

There's been a bit of badly needed rain in King Country and it has warmed up again after a very cold week last week. Farmers are getting into winter mode in Canterbury with stock starting on winter feed crops.

The citrus harvest continues in Gisborne and finally rain has fallen in Waikato.

Frosty temperatures nipped the heels of many North Island regions this week while in the South Island much needed rain fell in Marlborough and Canterbury.

Farmers at Hamilton's Frankton sales are buying in the hope that rain will eventually arrive.

In Hawkes Bay a lamb finisher currently has 27,000 labms on his farm, about 5,000 more than last year, because there's so much feed.

It's been another great week in Canterbury with weather as good as you could expect for the time of year. Conditions are excellent for newly establishing seed and grain crops.

Gisborne vegetable growers are sick of being blamed for food price hikes which means people are chosing less healthy food options, and grass growth in mid and south Canterbury is exceptional for this time of year.

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.

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 because of the extreme dry.