Bad Season For Maize Was Disastrous For Some

For many North Island maize growers the 2022/23 season has been one to forget, and for some it has been a financial disaster.

The latest AIMI (Arable Industry Marketing Initiative) report estimates a 2023 maize grain harvest of 164,400 tonnes, which is 13% down on 2022, despite a 4% increase in harvest hectares. Yield was down 16%.

The situation may be even more grim, Federated Farmers Arable Vice-President Maize Jamie Blennerhassett says, because as at the June 1 st survey date some 37% of the crop was still unharvested. The 10-year average for completed crop harvest by the start of June is 79%.

"The very wet growing season means across the wider country it has been a bad season. Maize grain crops in Northland, Bay of Plenty, the East Coast and right down to the Wairarapa are only at about 50% of long-term averages.

"The persistent rainfall and then the February cyclone meant for some, particularly in the eastern region between Napier and Gisborne, crops have been wiped out. Despite replanting two or three times, at the end some had nothing - and much higher costs than usual as well," Blennerhassett said.

"It’s pretty devastating financially for those people."

Maize silage crops fared better. The harvest, at an estimated 1,051,600 tonnes, was down 7% compared to 2022, with a lower yield (down 9%) from an increased harvest area (up 3%). Almost all the harvest was in by June 1.

Most maize grain is sold for poultry and pig feed, with some going to dairy. Blennerhassett said prices here are strongly linked to the cost of imported grain, and with the recent spike in world grain prices sparked by Russia’s attacks on shipments from the Ukraine, "if we get dragged into those impacts the poultry guys’ costs could rise".

It’s unknown how much of the 37% of unharvested maize grain at the time of the June 1 AIMI survey has since been successfully brought in. The crop needs to be dried down for use and to keep the costs down of gas-fired drying plant.

Blennerhassett said he was talking to one Gisborne grower at the Primary Industries NZ Summit in early July and he still hadn’t been able to get any of his crop in because of wet conditions.

A very poor season like this dents confidence. The AIMI report said maize grain spring sowing intentions (hectares) were 12% down on 2022 and for maize silage 3% down.

"The seed reps are saying there appears to be lower intentions to plant. A lot of the hectares in maize is land leased on year to year rollover and in some cases the banks will draw a line on finance given the disastrous season some have suffered," Blennerhassett said.

"We traditionally have a south-westerly wind flow in New Zealand but with the La Niña phase we’ve been under it’s been the exact opposite, hence the heavy rainfall.

"We’re due to go back to an El Niño pattern but weather patterns have been so skew-whiff. It make it so difficult for growers to plan."

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