Rnz: On The Farm

Vines are in leaf and vineyard workers are shoot thinning in Hawke's Bay while Tasman dairy herds are heading towards peak production but need more sun.

In Horowhenua a wet and cold period this week has slowed up asparagus production. Good weather in Canterbury has allowed for a range of tasks to be completed including spraying, drilling, dagging lambs and drenching cattle.

The north of the North Island has had a big dose of rain and West Coasters are looking skyward for sun...

Hawke's Bay apple trees are bursting into blossom and Canterbury farmers are dealing with wind-damaged irrigators.

Gales in Canterbury have toppled trees and taken out power. Avocado growers are having a rocky start to the export season.

Some farms are tight on feed on the East Coast and Southland farmers are having a great run of weather - great timing for lambing and calving.

In Northland dairy farmers seem to be well set up for feed for spring but beef farmers are feeling the pinch a bit. The vines are waking up in Marlborough and sheep are spaced out for lambing in South Otago.

Harvesting of leafy vegetables has continued in unpleasant conditions around Pukekohe and on a Nelson orchard growth is about a week ahead of last year.

It's been cold and miserable in Taranaki where farmers are heads down, tails up calving and farmers would quite like some sunshine in Southland to help lift spirits.

The sap seems to be flowing a little earlier than normal in a Gisborne vineyard and sheep farmers in Central Otago are busy pre-lamb shearing but it's been hard keeping yards dry.

New born lambs in Wairarapa welcomed the sun on their backs at the end of the week after a wet start to the week. In Southland, calves are starting to appear across the countryside.

Orange growers in the Gisborne region are getting good returns and the clean-up continues on inundated farms and vineyards in the South Island.

Hawke's Bay orchards have had the right amount of winter chill this week, pruning and maintenance work is continuing in Marlborough's vineyards and calving's due to start in early August in Southland.

Lettuces are in short supply after frosts and rain in Southland has left farms muddy underfoot.

June was a fabulous month for growth in the North Island. In the South, Marlborough's welcomed 100 millimetres of rain.

In the North Island there's been an awful lot of rain with the whole East Coast receiving a huge downpour, in the South Island South Otago and Southland farmers are having a reasonably kind start to mid winter.

Farmers fill us in on their week from the National Agricultural Fieldays; one farmer has his hands very firmly in his pockets having just become a 50/50 sharemilker and an Otago farmer is busy selling soaps made from his goats' milk.

Some sizable apple developments are going in around Waipawa in Hawke's Bay, but labour is limiting investor enthusiasm, while in the South Island, south Otago farms are dry underfoot and feed utitlisation is good.

Taranaki is looking lush and in the South Island kiwifruit vines are being very carefully pruned in Nelson.

Very welcome rain fell on the East Coast, along with freezing temperatures in many places of the North Island. It was similiar in the South Island with cracking frosts and sunny days. Oturehua had a couple of minus ten degree mornings and the Ida Dam is frozen.