Covid 19 coronavirus: Rise in alert levels a reminder for farmers to be prepared - Feds

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The double threat of protracted Covid-19 alert level restrictions and lack of sustained rainfall should be cause for farmers to review their level of supplies, Federated Farmers Dairy chairman Wayne Langford says.

"There is a high chance this won't be the last lockdown we'll see in coming months. Nor does anyone have a working crystal ball to say when the likes of Northland and East Coast provinces will get regular rain."

Any further Covid restrictions could put pressure on transport and supply lines, Langford said.

"Without sounding like telling seasoned farmers how to suck eggs, it is timely for farmers to check available feed levels, to get on with orders for any urgent machinery parts and generally to be prepared for potential disruption."

Feds Meat and Wool chair William Beetham agreed.

"We're not out of the pandemic yet, even with vaccines on the way, and the dry is starting to crisp up paddocks in many districts - though we had a welcome dose of rain in some areas in the last day or two," Beetham said.

Beetham warned that there may be "some challenging months ahead of us" and advised farmers needed to "Invest in themselves in terms of getting prepared."

"Try and eat properly, get enough sleep and exercise and stay in touch with friends. It always helps talking to someone when times get tough."