Farmers can see drought relief coming as most flush green again after months without meaningful rain, and additional government drought relief measures are announced.
Minister of Revenue Stuart Nash announced on Thursday that Manawatū farmers were included in a tax relief package for drought-affected areas reaching from New Plymouth to the Grey and Buller districts.
"We know the rural community is having a tough time.
However, it would be a hard slog to recover the lost ground, she said.
Many dairy farmers had already dipped into dry feed meant for finishing cows and lambs in winter, and would have to buy in more, she said.
"We don’t normally get dry feed in for beef and sheep, but I was feeding breeding cows with hay around Christmas.
You’ve got to roll with the seasons to be productive and change things as and when you need it.
"The season’s production is still going to be quite seriously affected.
Some feed crops had been grown locally for later in the year, but not enough, he said.
The ones that have been very patient, and waited for the soils to dry out have actually got really good crops, but they’ve needed to use them earlier before they were ready, so they have less."