No drought talk despite dry spell

Farmland near Dargaville during last summer's drought...

Weeks of blazing sun mean many Northland farmers are getting down on their knees, but at this stage it's to check soil moisture and grass growth, not to pray for relief.

While talk of drought gains momentum further south in New Zealand, the local situation is not yet that serious, says Northland Rural Support Trust spokeswoman Julie Jonker.

"At this stage it's all looking pretty good, I haven't been made aware yet that there is a problem in Northland," Ms Jonker said.

"We're hoping for more rain, of course. It's getting drier in parts of the Far North and Pouto is getting very dry."

Ms Jonker said the cooler than average temperatures in December were a bonus as it meant the feed growth didn't go off. "In fact, we're seeing the best clover year I've seen for at least a decade."

Ms Jonker said Northland farming officials would meet Ministry of Primary Industries representatives in the next couple of weeks and the topic of drought was likely to come up then.

After what was a very wet winter, and a wetter-than-usual December with cooler temperatures, the Northland Regional Council isn't contemplating using the 'd' word at this stage either, despite very low rainfall in the first two weeks of January.

"Rainfall, ground water levels and water resources are reasonably healthy," NRC hydrologist Dale Hansen said.

Mr Hansen said so far this January Whangarei District had only between 2-15mm of rain, between Kawakawa and Kerikeri 5-7mm, Kaitaia "a little healthier" at 15mm, and the south Hokianga and Kaipara's western ranges 16mm.

The driest region is the swathe from Dargaville, Pouto Peninsula, Ruawai and across to Mangawhai, where rainfall has been from nil to 6mm - and no rain means dry dirt.