Ravensdown releases Drought Relief Plan

Ravensdown releases Drought Relief Plan

Ravensdown’s Upper North Island Sales Manager Jeff Hadwin knows first-hand about the trials of managing a farm through a drought.

As well as his sales role Jeff farms 450 cows on 185 ha in Dargaville.

“The farm is struggling. We’re about 20,000 kg MS short of where we should’ve been at this time. We always budget for fertiliser, but we hadn’t budgeted for supplementary feed. The fertiliser price dropping has certainly helped – that’s money we can re-direct to other things.

“And, Ravensdown’s drought assistance plan will be useful for farmers,” says Mr Hadwin.

Ravensdown today announced it is offering interest free deferred payment terms backed with technical advice for all farm input products until the end of May for shareholders in areas the government has declared drought-affected.

“Farmers still all have the same expenses for things like dry-off drench and regrassing but then there’s the costs we haven’t budgeted for such as supplementary feed so it’s good to be have interest free deferred terms so we can pay for it over several months,” Mr Hadwin says.

The assistance plan has been introduced to ease the productive and financial impact of the drought for affected Northland farmers.

“We want to help farmers maintain a fertiliser programme to minimise the impacts of the drought and provide a faster recovery when the drought breaks.

“This will enable farmers to apply nitrogen and other fertilisers during autumn and early winter to encourage early pasture response to meet the increased feed demands in early spring, as well as deal with parasite and weed issues arising from the drought.

“Farmers can pick up the products before the end of May and payment won’t be due until October,” says Mr Hadwin.

To be eligible farmers will have to be in an area the government has declared drought affected. Customers interested in the package should contact the Ravensdown Customer Centre or their account managers. Non-Ravensdown shareholders can take advantage of this offer, with some special conditions.

“During times of adverse weather conditions, Ravensdown takes steps to help farmers. We believe the assistance being offered now and in the past has the broad support of shareholders in the Co-operative because it reflects the co-operative nature of New Zealand farmers in the face of adversity,” Mr Hadwin says.

“We have a long-term relationship with Federated Farmers and are working with them to help farmers through these times. The Federated Farmers 0800 drought line (0800 376 844) matches farmers with feed to sell, with those who need it.”

No significant rain is predicted for the region until the end of March.

“Already farmers are doing what they can just to survive. Once the culls and the empties are gone it’s about having as many cows left milking as you can sustain and protecting their body weight so you’re in the best position possible when it does break,” Mr Hadwin says.

“We strongly recommend people who are going to put on superphosphate do it now rather than later. The spreaders have capacity at the moment and it doesn’t make a difference when it goes on. And then coming out of the drought nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur will be the needed to get grass growing.”

ENDS

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