Rain boosts farmers’ confidence
South Canterbury farmers are breathing easier after last week’s downpour following a drier than normal four week period.
Timaru has seen about half of its normal number of wet days - days where more than 1 millimetre of rain fell, since mid-December, MetService meteorologist Tui McInnes said.
The area averaged about eight wet days during that time historically, whereas recently there had been five, he said.
‘‘You’ve had about half of your normal, so it is drier than what you’d normally get this time of year.’’
Timaru received 48.4mm of rainfall last Thursday, which followed the 15mm that fell on January 5, and 20.2mm on December 26.
McInnes said southeasterlies were responsible for the three days of rain last week, producing 59mm.
Timaru then experienced a cosy start to the week as the mercury climb to 31 degrees Celsius on both Monday and Tuesday.
Federated Farmers South Canterbury president Mark Adams said last week’s rain was a ‘‘massive relief’’.
‘‘It’s underpinning confidence because we’re getting moisture and heat, and that’s magic.
‘‘To see our winter feed crops respond to the moisture, it means that we can start farming with confidence that we’re going to have good winter fed.’’
The rain also helped underpin irrigation, he said.
‘‘Irrigation works, but it needs to be re-inforced with rain. For farmers who irrigate, they’ve invested to put resilience into their system but they still need it to rain.’’
Federated Farmers South Canterbury arable chairman Michael Porter said the recent rain was ‘‘not a bad thing’’ for cropping farmers.
‘‘The rain that we had was as much of a help as it was a hindrance,’’ Porter said.
The rain helped the ripening process, while the warmth on Monday and Tuesday was good for allowing farmers to bring crops in, he said.
‘‘The weather is actually going better than it was earlier on in the season,’’ he said.
Farmers were currently harvesting rye grass seed crops, early barley and some brassicas.
The forecast rain for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday would not be so helpful though, he said.
Federated Farmers South Canterbury vice president and dairy chairman Ryan O’Sullivan said the hot, dry period had been ‘‘quiet challenging’’ for dairy farmers.
There had been pockets of irrigation restrictions, but Lake Opuha held up pretty well.
Last week’s rain was a ‘‘brilliant rain, really’’ and as such South Canterbury production was tracking along similar to previous seasons on average.
It contrast, the national forecast had been revised down.