Waikato agricultural contractors catch-up after wet October

Waikato agricultural contractors are racking up long hours as they try to catch up with silage making and maize planting after a wet October.

The sight of tractor lights across farms at night is becoming common as contractors work 100-plus hour weeks. Maize planting normally starts from the end of September and is mainly done in October but wind and rain cost contractors time.

In many cases, farmers are still waiting for silage to be made before they can start readying paddocks for maize planting.

Walling Contracting spokesman Brett Turner said the company was inundated with work. The demand for grass silage in particular was keeping more than 20 Walling contractors working flat out.

"The wet weather last month put us behind. We are about a week behind and booked right through Christmas. The guys are doing huge hours."

Gavin Grain Ltd service and workshop manager Ron Voschezang said an already busy time had been compounded by a wet and windy October.

"We are trying to do a lot of October's work in the first three weeks of November as well as November's work."

Mr Voschezang said Gavin Grain had more than 20 contractors out and many staff were working 110 hours and six days a week.

"October was slow because it was so windy we couldn't spray Roundup," he said.

John Austin, who owns Te Awamutu-based contractor John Austin Ltd, said he was slightly behind on planting maize last month but had just about caught up.

"I would like to have finished planting by now," he said.

His firm had 26 tractors, eight trucks and three forage harvesters working.

Pioneer Seeds area manger David Densley said it was difficult to say if the delay would have a negative impact because the crucial thing was a good warm summer.

- NZPA