KEY POINTS:
There's optimism amongst the farming community with a moist month of March on its way.
Federated Farmers president Charlie Pedersen said weather experts were predicting more rain than usual in autumn, starting this month.
He said while some regions got a good dousing over the weekend, others missed out.
"Southland, which is pretty dry, has got some decent falls of rain," Mr Pedersen said.
"But further north, other areas have been let down after the front that crossed the country "didn't generate anything like as much as was expected," Mr Pedersen said.
And for farmers in the Waikato, the rain could not come too soon, he said.
"It's as bad as anyone can remember, so that's pretty bad," Mr Pedersen said.
He said Waikato farmers carried extra stock and relied on what is called a "safe summer" with plenty of rain to stimulate grass growth.
Added to the comparative high stock-rates, Waikato farmers were unable to rely on neighbouring regions for grazing land or extra feed.
But Mr Pedersen said farmers had reason to be optimistic. He said the moist weather on its way would allow them to grow enough feed to get through the winter.
February was a month of extremes with the Far North and Canterbury getting a drenching while rainfall was low across the rest of the North Island, according to the latest climate report from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
February was also the wettest on record for Rangiora in Canterbury and the second and third wettest for Kaikohe and Kerikeri respectively, since records began.
But by the last day of February severe soil moisture deficits of more than 130mm were recorded in the Hauraki plains, parts of the Waikato, southern Taranaki, northern Manawatu and in the east from Napier to the Wairarapa.
They were also recorded in the South Island in central Marlborough and in parts of Otago and Southland.
- NZHERALD STAFF
