Endless winter: Hawke's Bay crop growers' rain pain

The scene as in many paddocks across Hawke's Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor

Major problems are looming for Hawke's Bay crop growers and even the food chain with continuing rain putting late-winter and spring planting back by at least a month.

The situation has been highlighted by a grower who says his peas should have been planted by September 6 and another whose onion seeds should have been in the ground by the start of last month.

Another sign was the weekend decision to postpone three lower North Island ploughing matches because of the sodden ground, including one that had been scheduled for this Saturday on the Takapau Plains, usually a safe bet because of its drier conditions.

Another seasonal reversal was Saturday's cancellation of the second day of Hawke's Bay Racing's Spring Carnival at the Hastings racecourse, a track better known for its firmness and short-notice staging of other clubs' when other tracks have had to be closed because of bad weather.

Rain in most parts of Hawke's Bay for the weekend, the first two days of the new month, was at least half of average for the whole of October, following a wet September with rainfall in many areas 1.5 to three times historic September averages.

The outlook had improved marginally by Monday, in comparison with forecasts three days earlier which, associated with a heavy rain warning for the weekend, predicted rain showers and rain almost everywhere in Hawke's Bay and every day for more than a week.

More than 50mm of rain was recorded in some areas, particularly north of Napier.
On Monday MetService had no rain or other severe weather warnings in place for Hawke's Bay.

The rural forecast for Tuesday was for a few showers north of Wairoa, clearing in the morning and becoming fine. Southerlies were forecast to dissipate in the morning, with northerlies developing towards evening.

Partly cloudy weather was forecast for Wednesday with a period of rain in the afternoon as northwesterlies change southwest, while on Thursday occasional rain is forecast, falling as snow to 500m, clearing and becoming partly cloudy in the afternoon, with fresh southwesterlies.

A dropout threatens the road from Havelock North to Waimarama. Photo / Supplied

Agricultural contractor Mike Kettle, who has worked the land in Hawke's Bay for 33 years, said while he'd experienced plenty of rain events over the years in spring, nothing matched the conditions of this extended wet.

February and March brought rain of flooding and storm-damage proportion in some areas, in particular Northern Hawke's Bay where road damage repairs are costing more than $25 million.

According to Hawke's Bay Regional Council monthly rain reports, in March it was mainly below average throughout the province but it has been mainly above average since April.

"We're over a month behind now - most crops – and we've got to wait for the rain to stop, and then the land to dry out," Kettle said. "Once it's waterlogged we need sun to dry it out, but this time it only takes 5mm more rain ..."

The situation causes backlogs throughout the food production chain, and it was becoming possible some crops might not go in at all.

Race fans in Hawke's Bay struggled to recall a meeting in Hastings being cancelled, although the festival's third day in October 2017 was abandoned with five races still to run, including major festival feature the Livamol Classic.

The cancellation on Saturday came after a track inspection and a test ride of a small number of horses before it was decided by 7am it was too dangerous to proceed.

District councils are also assessing roads for damage, with a drop-out on Waimarama Rd, narrowing the road near its Pacific view lookout, among the issues. There were also slips to be cleared, including on the troubled Napier-Taupō road.

For Wattie's there could be something to smile about. It's the sponsor of the historic Ross Shield Schools rugby tournament, which starts with three games on Tuesday.