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Northland braces for dry spring as El Niño strengthens
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Rural confidence holds steady for ninth straight quarter
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Federated Farmers calls for sharemilking law review
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Northland braces for dry spring as El Niño strengthens
Northland farmers are being warned to prepare for a dry spring, with a strengthening El Niño already affecting the region's weather.
Northland Regional Council says this El Niño is shaping up to be among the strongest on record, similar to the drought-causing event of nineteen ninety-seven to ninety-eight. Below-average rainfall is now the most likely outcome for spring, with conditions expected to peak in early summer.
August brought welcome rain, with Northland recording just over its long-term average, though most fell late in the month. River flows across western, mid-north and southern Northland remain below normal to very low, and groundwater levels are still extremely low near Kaitāia.
The council says soil moisture is high after the August rain, giving farmers some buffer heading into spring, though that cushion may not last if dry conditions continue.
Rural confidence holds steady for ninth straight quarter
Farmer confidence in the wider agri economy has held steady for a ninth straight quarter, according to the latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, with sentiment unchanged at a net positive fourteen percent.
The bank's New Zealand chief executive, Todd Charteris, says farmers remain upbeat thanks to strong returns, with tighter global supply expected to support dairy and meat prices in the months ahead.
Confidence in farmers' own businesses lifted slightly, with growers now the most optimistic sector group, followed by sheep and beef and dairy farmers. Around three in ten farmers plan to increase investment over the coming year, mostly in on-farm infrastructure.
Rising input costs remain farmers' biggest concern, along with overseas market conditions and the growing risk of drought as El Niño takes hold. Just under half expect the election outcome to significantly affect their business.
Federated Farmers calls for sharemilking law review
Federated Farmers is calling on political parties to commit to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, saying the nearly ninety-year-old law hasn't kept pace with how dairy farming works today.
Sharefarmer chair Sam Ebbett says contract milkers now perform much the same role as variable-order sharemilkers, but sit outside the Act because they're paid a negotiated rate rather than a share of returns, leaving them without the same legal protections. Contract milkers operated over thirteen percent of herds last season.
Sharefarm owner chair Brendan Attrill says sharemilking and contract milking are critical entry points into farm ownership and succession, and the law needs to reflect how those arrangements actually work today.
Federated Farmers wants clearer minimum protections and dispute-resolution processes.
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