Farmers prepared for weather flux

Alan Wills.

Federated Farmers Rotorua/Taupo provincial president Alan Wills said farmers knew well how to cope with changes in the weather.

"Farmers will cope with weather changes a lot easier than they can cope with a low payout. Because we know with a weather change it will be tough for a little while but it won't last forever, but we just don't know when we're going to come out of this payout issue."

He said it was best practice to have a management programme in place to cater for a six-week dry period in the summer.

Heavy rainfall never lasted long but droughts were a problem for farmers because they could go on for weeks or months.

"We've always been prepared for a summer dry. This year it hasn't happened so it's been good for farmers, not too much supplement's gone out and the cows have kept milking reasonably well."

He said the weather in recent times, including a lot of rain over the past few months, had been positive for farmers.