March 3, 2011

 

New Zealand's farmers receive warning on lack of grain

 

 

Southland dairy farmers are encouraged to stock up their grain stocks as an international shortage of stock food approaches.

 

DairyNZ Southland productivity developer, Steve Lee, advised farmers at a seminar in Winton last week to stockpile grain for the following year if possible due to an anticipated shortage.

 

The majority of the grain in New Zealand was grown in the South Island but there was a declining rate of crops planted in the past few years, while internationally, the price of grain had increased due to catastrophes and weak seeding, he said.

 

"The message there is buy your grain now. At least a year out if you can manage it," he said.

 

Sergeant, Dan Stockfoods, and managing director, Daryl Moyles, agreed, saying grain stocks in Southland were low.

 

In previous years, there was surplus stock from the year before, but this year the silos were almost empty.

 

"A couple of bigger grain providers in Southland said it is the first time in four years where there is nothing left in the silos," he said.

 

Ardlussa grain grower, Brian Dillon, near Balfour, said Southland farms were using more grain than the grain grown in the area, causing prices to rise.

 

Grain growing was a boom and bust industry, so many growers changed to other forms of farming when it last crashed and that was causing the shortage, he said.

 

"Over the last few seasons we have had lower prices, which have been caused by the surpluses all our grain silos in Southland have been emptied now," he said.

 

DairyNZ Southland regional manager, Miranda Hunter, said the majority of the farmers were getting information about grain use from people who sold it and some of the information could be distorted. Thus, it wanted to provide unbiased information.