Farming Conditions

Helen Slattery's rural contracting firm is one in a small network of businesses across New Zealand that collects used plastic wraps from bales of stock feed and sends it for recycling. Audio

Gentle amounts of rain have tickled the grass on many North Island farms, although eastern parts such as Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa are drying quickly in the strong winds. In the South Island Canterbury… Audio

Wind has ripped newly sown crops out of the ground in Horowhenua. In the South Island it's much greener than usual for the time of year but the ground is starting to dry out. Audio

The Bay of Plenty avocado harvest is half way through and in Waikato, the harvesting of outdoor blueberries started this week. Lamb weaning is gaining momentum in Canterbury while in Central Otago… Audio

Parts of the North Island have had sweltering temperatures this week but Horowhenua has been cool and gloomy. Audio

Fonterra's announcement of a lift in the dairy payout has been just the tonic farmers needed as they come out of a tiring, wet spring. Marlborough farmers should be drafting lambs and cattle now but… Audio

North Island calves and lambs need more sun on their backs and, in the South Island, Otago is having a great spring. Audio

In Bay of Plenty gold kiwifruit are flowering and bees are being deposited around orchards while in Canterbury baleage contractors are flat out and recently sown kale and fodder beet crops are… Audio

It's been mild around the North Island, early maize is popping up and the weather's improved for general tractor work on paddocks. In the South Island wonderful rain has fallen in drought hit North… Audio

It's felt like summer on the east coast of the North Island this week, but farmers are still squelching around in paddocks over much of the island. In the south, farmers are getting crops in and lambs… Audio

It's been exceptionally wet in most North Island areas this week, from Auckland south through the central regions, streams are overflowing. In the South Island cropping farmers are able to get tractor… Audio

Soils are completely saturated in parts of the North Island - but on the west coast of the South, it's been dry. Audio

Warm and moist conditions in the North Island are pushing grass growth, and asparagus along, while in the South Island arable farmers have been preparing ground and sowing spring cereals. Audio

Lamb deaths are expected following this week's cold snap which has brought snow and bitterly cold conditions to North and South Island hill country. Audio

The price of indoor tomatoes has shot up and early stone fruit trees are in flower in the north of the South Island. Audio