Getting support with your feed planning with Rural Support Trust

Jane Tylee of the Tararua branch of the East Coast Rural Support Trust.

Find out what feed planning assistance is available to you.

Feed availability is currently a key concern for many farmers. Drought is having a significant impact on the amount of feed being grown across the country. Covid-19 and related measures are also having an impact.

MPI and partner agencies DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, AgFirst and Federated Farmers are providing remote feed planning support to farmers.

How it works:

This service is based on level of need and operates on three levels:

First, we'll work out how much feed you need. A call to an industry or levy body will get you a free stock take assessment of your feed planning needs.

Second, where it's required, we can offer more advice and practical support. An adviser will help you understand what needs to be done and how you can go about it.

Third, we can also refer you to someone who can offer more in-depth support. We can refer you to a farm systems consultant, who can provide help over the phone or visit if it is a serious animal welfare issue. Please note this level 3 support is not free.

Please call one of these toll-free numbers:

■ Dry stock sector – Beef + Lamb: 0800 BEEFLAMB (0800 233 352)

■ Dairy sector –DairyNZ 0800 4 DairyNZ,0800 4 324 7969

■ AgFirst 0508 AGFIRST (0508 243 477)

This service will be available until June 30, at which point the need will be reviewed.

Regional pasture modelling is indicating that many farmers are going into winter with pasture covers well below target for this time of year.

Even with perfect conditions, autumn pasture growth will be insufficient to fill this deficit.

Feed coordinators - looking for stock feed or have feed to sell? Feed coordinators are joining the cross-industry Feed Working Group. Their role is to collect information about feed needs, and where possible connect farmers with any feed that may be available.

To use this service you can call your feed budget support number who will take your information:

■ 0800 BEEFLAMB (0800 23 33 52)

■ 0800 4 DairyNZ (0800 43 24 79 69)

As the feed you usually want may not be available, it's critical that you have built a feed budget to identify how you are going to balance limited grass, silage and baleage supplies with grain and other feeds.

This service does not give free feed, nor subsidise costs. Get in touch now. Good feed planning matters. The earlier you plan, the better prepared you'll be. Help is on hand. Give us a call.

If you would like to discuss any of this information further, you can contact your local Rural Support Trust, on 0800 787 254/ or Tararua coordinator Jane Tylee 027 367 3672.