On the Farm

Waikato farms on heavy soils are pugging again following more rain. The fabulous weather pattern just keeps on coming for Canterbury and it's making lambing, calving and ground preparation for spring… Read more Audio

Grass is growing in most North Island areas with warmer than normal soil temperatures. Farmers in Marlborough are break feeding stock and calving is in full swing on most South Island dairy farms. Read more Audio

The North Island is generally quite mild while Marlborough has a flush of lambs arriving. Read more Audio

Hopes are high for a good lambing on the North Island's East Coast, Marlborough's had enough rain for now, and in Central Otago there's been some growth. Read more Audio

Many North Island regions are feeling very sodden, although a milder week in King Country raised soil temperatures and put a green tinge on low pasture covers. Grape pruning continues in Marlborough… Read more Audio

Gisborne has had a couple of frosts and quite strong nor-west winds. Karamea, on the South Island's West Coast, had a mid-week down pour of about 150 millimetres. Read more Audio

There was sunshine amidst the mist in Northland on Friday morning. Feed levels on farms are very low. Dairy farmers in Canterbury are getting very close to calving with many reporting to already… Read more Audio

Waikato has been cold, wet and miserable but there have been three good frosts. Ewe scanning is in full swing in Marlborough and results are up about 10 per cent on last year. Read more Audio

It has been so wet in Gisborne that farm bikes can't be used in places and farmers are having to saddle up their horses. Marlborough started off wet and ended with frost and a fresh skiff of snow on… Read more Audio

Five contestants from the National Fieldays Rural Catch of the Year competition talk about conditions on the land and their love of farming. Read more Audio

Parts of Waikato had 100 millimetres of rain at the weekend and there was surface flooding. Pruning is underway on all fruit crops in the Nelson / Motueka region. Read more Audio

Apple pruning is well underway in Hawkes Bay in cold but excellent conditions. Winter has arrived in Canterbury bringing with it frosts and snow on the mountains. Read more Audio

The country's transformed in the past week from cruisy autumn to wet and cold. Kiwifruit harvesting still has a long way to go. Read more Audio

It is getting wet underfoot in Taranaki so farmers feel they have had enough rain. Rams in Marlborough have completed their work on hill country farms and sheep scanning is underway. Read more Audio

Warm weather has blessed the North Island this week, and while the South Island's generally been lovely too, the temperatures are dipping quickly down south. Read more Audio

Many North Island areas received good volumes of welcome rain last weekend, some dairy herds are being dried off and the South Island feijoas, apples and kiwifruit are filling Tasman's cool stores. Read more Audio

Many North Island areas are looking forward to forecast rain this weekend. Northern Southland's having a magnificent autumn. Read more Audio

The apple harvest is coming to an end in Hawke’s Bay and almost all the grapes are in. Early signs of winter appeared last weekend in Canterbury with a couple of light frosts. Farmers have been busy… Read more Audio

Farmers across the country have been reaching for their winter woolies this week. The apple harvest in Hawkes Bay has only a couple of weeks to run. Weaning is underway in Marlborough. One farmer says… Read more Audio

Dry, mild weather with a stray shower or two prevailed this week in Pukekohe. Many vegetables are now in heavier supply and retail prices have eased. Canterbury is fully into autumn mode with all… Read more Audio

Grass is growing at a phenomenal rate in the North Island. Central Otago's hills are looking green and the flats below them even greener. In Southland winter crops are growing well and baleage has… Read more Audio

Many North Island regions are continuing to cut silage or baleage which is most unusual for this time of year. In the South Island wet weather's making harvesting of grapes in Marlborough very very… Read more Audio

Taranaki's had some decent weather. Areas that were exceptionally dry until the end of February have had good rain but are still reasonably short of grass and both pasture and cow condition need to… Read more Audio

Extremely heavy downpours of rain in the central North Island this week have resulted in massive slips, road blockages and power cuts. West Coast dairy farmers are starting to de-stock and pregnancy… Read more Audio

Weaner fairs are just starting in Northland and prices are expected to be on a par with last year. Waikato farmers are still making silage which is a rare occurrence for early March. More rain at the… Read more Audio

Taranaki farmers have been mucking in together and sharing generators to get cows milked. There's cleaning up to do following damage from former cyclone Gita. Read more Audio

Hawkes Bay apple growers are flat out harvesting Royal Gala, which account for about 40 percent of regions apple crop. Plums are being picked and apple and pear harvesting is due to start soon in… Read more Audio

The Gisborne region is flush with feed. Some Marlborough grape growers have been battling powdery mildew and botrytis thanks to unusually moist conditions. Read more Audio

East Coast cropping farmers are flat out. Sweetcorn is coming to an end, the first shipment of squash has left for Japan and brassica crops are maturing quickly. A storm on the West Coast has damaged… Read more Audio

Most of the North Island is looking surprisingly green, Marlborough is too but farms at the bottom of the South Island are experiencing drought-like conditions Read more Audio