Flights to check Southland paddocks for winter grazing risks

File photo / Alex Burton

Environment Southland staff will be out and about in the region identifying potential winter grazing risks this month to help farmers prepare for the upcoming season.

Environment Southland, with support from DairyNZ and Beef+Lamb New Zealand, will take a look at cultivated forage crop paddocks from the air and by land, to identify areas that may pose issues for water quality this winter.

The land sustainability team will then follow up directly with those farmers identified with higher risk paddocks to ensure there is a strategic grazing plan in place and offer advice on managing the issues with those paddocks.

Poor intensive winter grazing practices can cause significant damage to Murihiku Southland's freshwater quality through sediment and effluent run-off leading to excess nitrogen, phosphorus and bacteria getting into waterways. It can also affect soil structure and health, or animal welfare.

Environment Southland chief executive Rob Phillips said he was keen to ensure farmers were supported to be well prepared for winter grazing this season.

"We appreciate the hard work farmers have put in improving their wintering practices over the last few years," Phillips said.

"Our cultivation flights will focus on identifying winter grazing paddocks that may pose a risk to water quality when animals are grazing," he said.

Staff will also be assessing paddocks from the roadside for potential problems.

As with last year, land sustainability staff would look at paddocks to ensure critical source areas had been left uncultivated, buffer zones were in place by waterways, how feed crops were being used to keep vegetation between waterways and animals, and whether the paddocks could pose an increased risk of overland flow.