Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Hawke's Bay farmers urged to look out for each other ahead of dry winter of

By Sahiban Hyde
Hawkes Bay Today·
28 May, 2021 02:57 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Hawke's Bay farmers are in for a rough winter and urged to check on each other, not just their animals. Photo / Supplied

Hawke's Bay farmers are in for a rough winter and urged to check on each other, not just their animals. Photo / Supplied

Farmers are being encouraged to look out for each other, as soil moisture levels in Hawke's Bay drop and a dry winter is forecast.

The Hawke's Bay Rural Advisory Group said it would be challenging and stressful to farm through the winter and the continuing dry conditions.

The region received some rain this week, however Hawke's Bay Regional Council monitoring shows as June approaches, southern Hawke's Bay has only received 50 per cent of average May rainfall.

Rural Advisory Group chair Lochie MacGillivray said they conducted a survey of 30 farmers recently who were confident they could manage through the winter and have good mental health.

"It was good to hear that our farming families are feeling like they are in a good position," MacGillivray said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"However none of those surveyed had a formal feed budget, and we still have concerns about farming operations, and farmers' wellbeing if we have a particularly cold winter, or a snow storm.

"We really encourage our farming families look out for each other, and to check in with friends who may be struggling.

"We also encourage farmers to come up with a formal feed plan, factoring in a 'what if' scenario."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Sarah Donaldson, a clinical psychologist who specialises in rural wellbeing, said the dry conditions, and constant feeding out through winter could create physical and emotional fatigue for farmers.

"Farmers need to be mindful of fitting in recovery time to prevent burnout. The biggest thing is awareness, of when you are in busy times and how that can take its toll.

"Look out for your friends and neighbours, and reach out to those who you think may be under more pressure as they may not put their hand up."

A free feed planning service is open to all livestock owners, from lifestyle blocks to the largest stations, and this service can be accessed by phoning 0800 BEEF LAMB (0800 233 352) or 0800 4 Dairy NZ (0800 432 479 69).

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

Praise for restaurant's response after former deputy mayor dies at family dinner

Premium
Opinion

Gail Pope: Robert Louis Stevenson’s Samoan home shot by Hawke’s Bay photographer

Hawkes Bay Today

The 2.2% dream: What we would need to sacrifice to get the lowest rate rise in NZ


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Praise for restaurant's response after former deputy mayor dies at family dinner
Hawkes Bay Today

Praise for restaurant's response after former deputy mayor dies at family dinner

His family say he will leave a legacy of kindness, and he was surrounded by it to the end.

18 Jul 07:18 PM
Premium
Premium
Gail Pope: Robert Louis Stevenson’s Samoan home shot by Hawke’s Bay photographer
Opinion

Gail Pope: Robert Louis Stevenson’s Samoan home shot by Hawke’s Bay photographer

18 Jul 07:00 PM
The 2.2% dream: What we would need to sacrifice to get the lowest rate rise in NZ
Hawkes Bay Today

The 2.2% dream: What we would need to sacrifice to get the lowest rate rise in NZ

18 Jul 06:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP