Federated Farmers: Back to the future Destock or not

Mainland farmer Roger Fox is a veteran when it comes to farming through El Nino and says farmers have to be ready to make tough calls.

Mention El Nino to farmers and expect to be greeted with a shrug of the shoulders or a response which encapsulates been there - done that.

Whether it's 1982, 1988 or 1998 -- the last significant El Nino to hit our shores -- each event had specific circumstances, which farmers would rather forget than recall.

North Otago meat and fibre farmer Roger Fox has experienced a few in his time since he started farming 40 years ago at Kauru Hill, around 20 miles inland from Oamaru.

Mr Fox reckons farming in the eighties with El Nino was tougher and the modern farm today is better equipped to handle such extremities.

Still, the old chestnut whether to destock and when remains. The implications of that decision can be long-term and impact financially.

"Don't squander the proceeds, and don't go on holiday with it," laughs Mr Fox. "You have to consider what destocking could mean. One has to be careful selling in a depressed market.

"Some farmers get cashed up and think they can get their stock back in the future, but from my experience inflation takes care of that." Mr Fox said destocking early was hard for farmers -- himself included. Going into summer he was reasonably stocked compared to last year. He was avoiding taking stores to market. "Hopefully it's not a mistake," he said.

Christmas was always a tough time. But the "old ewes and flat lambs" would get him through the period. Some others were not so fortunate. "I'm lucky I can move on my lambs before Christmas, but some other guys can't draft their lambs as their not quite fat enough."

Another challenge was the local works: you had to book in early as they 'fill up quickly' due to the holidays.