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Farmers in New Zealand had a brutal reminder this summer of how much their industry is at the mercy of the weather.
The La Nina weather pattern, which comes around about every three years, brought severe dry weather for Waikato, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Marlborough, North Canterbury and the top of the South Island.
Environment Waikato declared a drought in February, with January the driest month in more than 100 years.
The rain has returned, bringing the drought to an end - although the Otago region continues to have problems.
Federated Farmers president Charlie Pedersen said New Zealand might see such a drought once every 25 or 30 years.
Dairy farmers dried off cows early, with the estimated cost of the drought on the dairy industry ranging from$500 million to $1 billion.
Farmers destocked, meatworks backed up and some sheep farmers unable to get animals processed were forced to shoot them.
And the impact of the drought will also be felt during the next two or three years, including lower productivity and lost income.
