Assessment of damage is underway in Pukekohe after a deluge of rain saw onions floating down the street and farms turned into lakes. Kiwifruit vines and structures have also been wiped out - while parts of the South Island start preparing for a drought.

Cows are laying in grass in Waikato, while pasture growth has dropped dramatically in Southland. Clinical signs of facial eczema are starting to show around the country and a tropical insect which could be hugely detrimental has been found on the West Coast.

Heavy rain in Pukekohe mid-week made the ground too wet to dig potatoes or lift onions. Cherry picking is underway in Otago. The last two weeks have seen warm days and cool nights which has been good for ripening and flavour.

Rain has come back to Northland in the past few days. It's a blessing to see conditions like these in the summer months as soil moisture levels won't be improving from now. Silage making is in full swing in Canterbury and vineyards are at the tail end of shoot thinning in Central Otago.

Hawke's Bay has had good weather for flowering vineyards. A dairy farmer in Southland says grass is shooting out of the ground after a good dose of rain.

There's an explosion of grass in Waikato this week after countless days of rain and warmish weather, calves are being weaned and drenched on the West Coast and winter crops are in the ground in South Otago.

In Manawatu it's gone from being too wet to drive tractors on paddocks to hanging out for rain. While on the West Coast of the South Island, farmers are shutting up paddocks for silage, and some are past their peak milk production.

In Taranaki the temperature gauge is rising and pasture growth is finally looking good. In Southland, they're flat out tailing and some farmers are pleasantly surprised that their lambing tally is higher than scanning predicted.

Warm rain and a mix of sunshine has kicked grass out of the ground across the country. It's a relief for many across the North Island trying to get silage together. Farmers are treading water in Wairarapa and join those in Nelson wanting a bit more rain now the ground is drying up. And the last of tailing completed this week marks the end of the lambing season in Southland.

Most farms are pretty short of grass in Northland and supplementary feed suppliers say there has been a big uptake. Strong wind has stopped spraying in its tracks for an olive grower in Wairarapa, while in Central Otago a frost at the beginning of the week was an early wake up call for cherry growers.

Weather has been kind in Bay of Plenty with enough sunny days to finally finish docking and creative juices have been let loose on the humble gumboot on the West Coast.

Bay of Plenty kiwifruit growers are counting their losses this week after a frost last Friday caused irreparable damage. Central Otago sheep farmers are nearing the end of shearing and lambing is in full swing.

Cold and extremely wet is how most are feeling in Waikato. About 110 millimetres of rain has fallen this week. Snow fell across Canterbury this week to sea level. Grass growth remains very slow with many farmers still feeding out.

In the Bay of Plenty gold kiwifruit are in their full bud stage and the new red kiwifruit vines are starting to flower. In Otago one farmer says it' been one of the best lambing seasons in his 50 years.

In the Bay of Plenty it's still wet and boggy around kiwifruit vines. Bud burst is a bit slower than usual which is a relief for orchardists still trying to finish pruning. Ewe scanning percentages are down about 10 percent in Southland and that's being attributed to this year's drought.

It's been one of the wettest springs for a while in Hawke's Bay which makes it physically hard on farm as everything is sodden. In South Otago the weather has been perfect for those in the thick of lambing and pasture covers are as perfect as they can be for early spring.

A southerly cruised through the Bay of Plenty making it miserably cold for staff continuing to prune kiwifruit. Bud burst has started in Marlborough vineyards. Some growers have been fighting frosts this week with windmills and helicopters.

Early fruit trees are blossoming, asparagus heads are peeping out and lambing is in full swing as spring touched down this week after a miserable winter.

Lambing percentages are looking positive In King Country with plenty of twins frolicking around the paddocks. In Marlborough some vineyards are still tying and pruning their vines behind schedule due to staff shortages and last week's horrendous weather.

Northland, Tasman/Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast farmers are once again dealing with flooded paddocks, slips, access roads blocked and significant damage following huge volumes of rain falling this week.

Farmers In Waikato say they don't want any more rain for some time as July had double the usual amount. Calving is well underway In Southland and cows are munching their way through beet and swede fodder crops.

Dairy farmers near Tauranga say their paddocks are drying off nicely during drier weather this week and in Southland ewes are being moved onto crops before lambing next month.

Around Taumaranui it's been time to get firewood stacked in the shed between showers. Scanning's done and lambing starts about mid August so the ewes are being moved to their set paddocks. Calving is going well in Southland but winter is only half way through and farmers are wondering whether they need to buy in more feed.

Wet rules around the country, with good dumpings of snow on higher altitude South Island properties.

Sheep and beef farmers In Northland are dealing with sodden ground and surface water up to seven centimetres high. Southland farmers say they missed the worst of this week's bad weather and some early lambs are already skipping around paddocks.

Farmers in Wairarapa have been crutching and watching ewes. Conditions underfoot have dried out in Canterbury so stock are utilising fodder crops well.

Northland soils are extremely wet so dairy farmers are continuing to stand cows off pastures where possible. Central Otago farmers are shifting breaks and feeding out stock and shearing is underway on half-bred sheep.

A farmer on the East Coast has just finished pregnancy scanning ewes, while some of the very early flocks are starting to lamb. Cows in Southland have settled on winter crops and sheep are break feeding on grass and getting a top up of sheep nuts or oats.

Many farms in the North Island are drenched after all the rain and heavy money's being paid at Canterbury bull sales.

Ewe pregnancy scanning results are down in King Country but well up in Wairarapa and some farmers have stopped looking at the rain gauge in the Nelson region, it's been so wet.

Hawke's Bay had a 23 degree day on June the first and Balclutha farmers have been reaching for their stubbies - it's been very warm there too.

There's been a bit of badly needed rain in King Country and it has warmed up again after a very cold week last week. Farmers are getting into winter mode in Canterbury with stock starting on winter feed crops.

The citrus harvest continues in Gisborne and finally rain has fallen in Waikato.

Frosty temperatures nipped the heels of many North Island regions this week while in the South Island much needed rain fell in Marlborough and Canterbury.

Farmers at Hamilton's Frankton sales are buying in the hope that rain will eventually arrive.

In Hawkes Bay a lamb finisher currently has 27,000 labms on his farm, about 5,000 more than last year, because there's so much feed.

It's been another great week in Canterbury with weather as good as you could expect for the time of year. Conditions are excellent for newly establishing seed and grain crops.

Gisborne vegetable growers are sick of being blamed for food price hikes which means people are chosing less healthy food options, and grass growth in mid and south Canterbury is exceptional for this time of year.

The East Coast suffered more slips and roading damage from former Cyclone Fili, but nearly all other regions of New Zealand would rather welcome some rain - just not too much.

It's been a bit of a slow start for the early green kiwifruit harvest in Bay of Plenty with warm nights and mornings and some Southland dairy farmers are drying their herds off well over a month early because of the extreme dry.

Stock are getting through broken fences on sodden farms in the North Island and gobbling feed normally shut up for the lean winter months while in Southland and parts of Otago no substantial rain has fallen for the past four months leaving paddocks dry and feed supplies low.

Stock are pushing a mouthful of feed into the ground every step they take on the East Coast after downpours this week and in dry South Otago, some sheep farmers are having to tup ewes on supplementary feed while dairy farmers are thinking of drying off early.

Conditions on Horowhenua dairy farms are challenging enough to keep people on their toes. It's been nearly a month since the last rainfall. Grape harvesting's kicked into gear this week in Marlborough. Winter crops are struggling and grass growth is slow in Southland.

In the Pukekohe district the fine weather is ideal for kiwifruit harvesting but vegetable crops are still relying on irrigation. Contactors in Central Otago are doing a third cut of lucence and lambs are being drafted and going away at good weights.

Cool and damp conditions in Gisborne have been good for leafy crops but not so good for grapes and squash which love the hot and dry over ripening. On the West Coast a farmer at Hari Hari has been making silage and putting in the last of the winter crops this week.

Rain and now sun mean grass growth has been phenomenal around the country but the grain and seed harvest in Canterbury have suffered.

The weather in Taranaki has calmed down and farms are drying out after storms two weekends in a row. The early variety Smitten, Breeze and Gala apples are being picked and packed for export in the Nelson/Motueka region.

Significant rain has caused damage on farms in parts of the country but elsewhere it has been welcomed.

Waikato is teetering on the edge of a drought and grape crops are looking bountiful in Marlborough.

Nets are going on in a Hawke's Bay vineyard. Grapes are at or just past the veraison stage. In Canterbury there are large areas of grass seed crops cut waiting for warm dry weather for harvesting.

Manawatu and Rangitikei farmers will spend much of summer cleaning up the mess after this week's flooding, and in the south, boysenberry crops have suffered in the wet.

Shearers are running behind in King Country because they haven't been able to get dry sheep and Marlborough winegrowers are keeping a close eye out for black spot and powdery mildew.

Unvaccinated shearers are a vexing issue for East Coast sheep stations, the feed situation's come right in Manawatu and between showers, everyone's making baleage in Canterbury.

Pukekohe's potatoes are being harvested and Marlborough's pear crop is looking light so very little thinning's required.

Hot, windy weather has been very drying for Hawke's Bay and in Nelson, the bees have been taken out of gold kiwifruit blocks and are now in with the green.

Rain and hot weather has split cherries in Hawkes Bay. Southland's had a stunning week for getting crops in the ground,

Damaging winds around Opotiki in the Bay of Plenty have blown over shelter trees in kiwifruit orchards and whipped flowers off the vines. On the West Coast of the South Island mating is going well on dairy farms and contractors are finishing making baleage on run-off farms.

Find out what's happening on farms and orchards around the country. Hawkes Bay had a 29 degree day this week and a bit of rain. That makes it a risky time for fire-blight in apples. Spring sowing of next year's winter feed paddocks is in full swing in Canterbury.

There've been three days of sun in a row on the West Coast. Hawke's Bay sheep farmers are thrilled so many new-born lambs have survived.

Waikato has hit peak milk production a couple of weeks early and in the south, heavy snow has fallen in Central Otago

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...

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.

The green kiwifruit harvest is underway in the north where winter is making its presence felt and in the south feed is being trucked from the West Coast to bone dry farms in the east.

Lovely rain this week in the north has not been so welcome on Bay of Plenty orchards in the midst of kiwifruit harvest and there's been sleet, snow and some wicked frosts down south.

It's bone dry on the East Coast of the North Island, a hunter out near Hikurangi says in the 20 years he's gone out it's never been so dry and Marlborough is still hunting for rain while the West Coast of the South Island wants some drier days.

Most North Island regions that desperately needed rain didn't get any this week and snow has appeared on Mounts Ruapehu and Taranaki, meanwhile the situation is grim on many Marlborough and North Canterbury farms as the dry is biting harder and harder.

In the North Island many east coast regions are desperately short of rain, and elsewhere ground water levels are still low, while conditions in coastal Marlborough are beyond dire, and a drought committee is planning to bring un-picked apples from Tasman over the hill to feed stock.

Farmers are starting to struggle in a drier than normal autumn in many places around the country. In Hawkes Bay apple picking conditions have been fabulous with fine, windless days.

In the North Island at least one Taranaki farm's on track for a record milk production season while in the South Island Southland farmers think they've dialled up one of the best possible autumns.

Bay of Plenty gold kiwifruit growers are waiting for clearance to pick the fruit. Tasman apple orchardists are still crying out for workers.

Waikato dairy farmers are doing their budgets for next year and there's no shortage of ways to spend their increased fortunes. In the South farmers are trying to set up for winter but it's dry.

More than a sniff of rain is needed in the north where weaner cattle are fetching good prices at the sales and in the south farmers are busy with autumn sown crops.

Waikato had hail this week and in the South Island, Marlborough farmers are trying to keep weight on ewes ahead of mating.

Northland has received welcome and significant rain while the South Island is still on the hunt for moisture.

In Northland lots of dairy herds are being sold and in the South Island nearly all the regions are trucking along well for the time of the year.

Good rain helped ease the dry in the north and South Canterbury farmers woke up to two frosts this week.

Waikato is trucking steadily into a drought and Marlborough has seen one of its earliest picks for pinot noir bubbles.

Over much of New Zealand pasture quality is dropping in the heat but stock are generally doing well. There are some sensational Hawkes Bay nectarines in shops.

Temperatures plummeted in Canterbury this week from near 40 degrees to 2 on Friday morning. Hawke's Bay grape growers have had heat and rain when they've needed it this summer.

Stock need sun on their back with more than enough rain in the north, vines are spurting along in Marlborough and Hawkes Bay and farmers are fighting to maintain pasture quality in Southland.

Bay of Plenty kiwfruit growers are being kept awake at night over the worker shortage and calves are being weaned, drenched and vaccinated in South Otago.

An isolated bout of hail hit some maize crops in Waikato this week, while in the South Island the Marlborough region is looking a picture.

Pasture is bursting forth around the country in "dream" spring conditions, ag contractors are all out making silage, the summer fuit harvest is underway and in the vineyard, workers are tidying vine canopies.

Grass is climbing out of the ground around the North Island and Otago has had a 26 degree day and a frost this week.

There's been welcome rain and warmth in the north and clear patches for sowing and silage-making but too much rain on the West Coast is not helping the mating season.

Avocados are coming off trees thick and fast and retirees are putting their hands up for seasonal work in Central Otago.

Grass is bolting and tractors are humming in the North Island but farmers could still do with more rain. On the West Coast farmers are still waiting for paddocks to dry out enough to plant next winter's crops.

Farmers in the north who were getting a bit twitchy with the lack of rain are pleased they can now almost see the grass growing after a good few millimetres in the gauge this week. Trading stock are being offloaded in Marlborough which is still hanging out for rain.

Hungry lambs in Rangitikei are starting to put pressure on the amount of grass left for their mums and Nelson and Marlborough are already getting desperately dry. There's been historic low rainfall in Marlborough for the first eight months this year.

Northland's farmers are reluctant to buy in stock and the sheep farmers in the southern South Island seem to have made it through this week's weather bomb with fewer than expected lamb deaths. Find out what's happening on the farms and orchards of New Zealand.

It's been a kind spring so far with good lamb survival rates and a pleasing bud break in Hawke's Bay orchards but a lot more rain is needed around the country except in Southland and on the West Coast. They've had plenty!

Docking's started in blustery weather in the North and in Te Waipounamu it was a wild week for many on both sides of the main divide.

More kiwifruit blocks are being planted in south Auckland and lambs are skipping around paddocks with the sun on their backs.

There's huge concern about low aquifer levels around many North Island regions, and snow is blanketing Otago.

The Hawkes Bay countryside has been transformed by winter rain. In the McKenzie Basin, merino shearing is underway.

Avocado exports are just starting,  apple growers are thinking about heavily pruning crops because there'll be so few workers to pick their fruit,  a crisp minus seven degrees hit the Mackenzie country this week and most of the South Island needs more rain.

There's been perfect lambing weather in the North Island and calves are arriving early in Otago.

Big, beautiful calves are arriving a couple of weeks early in some parts of the country and for many South Island regions spring is in the air.

Waikato and Taranaki dairy farms have never looked better at this time of year, and it's been relatively balmy in the deep south...

Calving's been keeping farmers busy over a mostly dull, wet and chilly week weather-wise as hares and rabbits pester growers around Pukekohe.

Calving's started as winter arrives in the far north and stock are tucking in to winter crops around Canterbury

Winter sets in in the north and the effects of the drought are still being felt at the top of the South Island.

Drought hit Hawke's Bay has had rain and in the South Island, Tekapo farmers have been working in temperatures that have barely hit five degrees.

Farmers in the picturesque Matukituki Valley near Wanaka are enjoying being able to move stock easily now that tourist traffic has quietened down. The mild start to winter around much of the country is finally giving pasture a chance to grow.

Ewe scanning is underway in the north, which has seen more welcome rain this week and dairy farmers are catching their breath before calving.

Farmers in the far north have had to get their wet weather gear out this week and pruning has started on orchards and vineyards.

Frosts tickled much of the North Island this week. Now saleyards have opened the demand for store stock has improved.

It's still horrifically dry in Southern Hawkes Bay and some Gisborne mandarins are being held on trees until demand picks up post lockdown, while in the South Island green kiwifruit are being harvested in Nelson, while Marlborough through to Northern Southland is desperately dry and supplements are hard to find and expensive.

Hawkes Bay is in dire straits with a continuing drought, Northland which was in one of the worst droughts on record, has had rain. A parched Marlborough received rain last weekend and South Otago is looking a picture.

Farmers in most parts of the country are longing for rain forecast for this weekend. RSE workers have finished long seasons in New Zealand but many can't get home to the Pacific because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Dams are being cleaned out in Northland to improve water storage and at the top of the South Island the hop harvest has been producing good yeilds.

Winter's on its way with a chill in the air and snow in the south but not nearly enough rain to break drought. Farmers are feeding the soil to keep growth going with more stock than normal to feed.

The beginning of the week was beautifully fine and far too dry in most of the North Island and in the South, snow has fallen on hills around the Mackenzie Basin.

As welcome rain dampens soils in many regions in time for winter sowing, farmers around the country share how they're coping with Covid-19.

Covid-19 is upsetting the labour supply for some harvests but a dollop of rain in certain drought stricken areas is cheering farmers up, although those in Marlborough are still begging for more.

It's cooled off a bit in the North Island but farmers are still hanging out for rain, while in the South Island, West Coast and Southland farms are going into autumn with pretty good pasture growth.

In parched Northland, a stock agent in Kaipara district says rain this week was enough to settle the dust, but that's about it. The West Coast has had a week of glorious, fine T-shirt and shorts weather - there's even an excess of grass in some places and baleage is being made.

The grape harvest is well underway in Hawkes Bay in what is a very early vintage this year. The biggest challenge for sheep farmers in Marlborough is keeping ewe condition up for the ram.

Each week our Country Life reporters check out the latest from farms and orchards around the country. South Waikato had thunder rolling around the district at the weekend but the rain was very choosy about where it fell. In Canterbury indications from arable farmers are that yields have been very good so far across cereals and small seeds.

Around Pukekohe, warm dry days have continued and growers have maintained the costly task of irrigating outdoor crops. Harvest is progressing well in Canterbury but, despite the dry weather, it has been quite slow because of overcast cooler conditions.

Around Pukekohe, the widespread drought continues to make life difficult for the outdoor vegetable industry. A dairy farmer near Balclutha in South Otago is in flood recovery mode. His farm is bordered by the Clutha and PomahakaII Rivers and both flooded.

The big dry continued in Northland this week with not a spot of rain to relieve drought conditions. Flooding in South Otago is starting to subside. A sheep and beef farmer near Balclutha recorded 185 millimetres of rain in 48 hours.

Hawkes Bay's grape vines are enjoying the dry, hot summer but most areas are hoping for rain.

Taranaki could be heading for its driest January in 40 years and central Otago's waiting for its first drop of rain for the year.

Country Life's whipping around the country to hear about 'the year that's been' for our food producers.

There was flooding to all the main alpine fed rivers in Canterbury last weekend while in many parts of the North Island paddocks and orchards are drying out. Some welcome rain elsewhere in the North has given a boost to feed crops.

Waikato's become a bit dry in the past week but good rain, forecast for the weekend, should help set farms up well for summer. A hop grower at Tapawera in the Nelson region says the focus this week has been getting the growing hop vines trained up the strings.

Hawkes Bay's cherries are being picked and Southland and South Otago have finally had the chance to dry out...

Welcome rain has set many farms up for the summer. It hasn't really warmed up in the far south and grass is struggling to grow. Marlborough has finally transitioned from what has been a fickle spring into summer.

Welcome rain has set farms up for the summer but hail in Hawke's Bay and Pukekohe has caused some fruit damage. It hasn't really warmed up in the far south and grass is struggling to grow.

Hot temperatures have seen pasture growth bolt away over much of the North Island. In the South it's been warm too. Farmers in Canterbury have been planting kale for grazing next winter and hopefully by the end of next week all the tractor work will be done for the season.

In Bay of Plenty pasture's been bolting away and the good quality feed's been putting weight on cattle and lambs. Dairy farmers have finally put their silage wagons away in Canterbury and yearling bulls on lucerne are currently growing at two kilos per head per day.

In Waikato asparagus production is down significantly because of cooler wetter conditions this spring. Apple orchards in the Nelson/Motueka region are coming to the end of flowering. There has been stop start rain in South Otago so farmers haven't been able to get much groundwork done.

In Northland it has been an exceptional week in terms of pasture growth on the back of some good rain. Canterbury has had another variable week of weather with only a couple of good days in which to get on the tractor.

Warm wet weather in the North Island will give grass growth a boost and the West Coast of the South Island could do the chance to dry out!

This week unsettled spring weather included damaging hail in Hawkes Bay, hard frosts in Marlborough and it's been wetter than wet on the West Coast. 

Blustery winds, spring chills, a touch of frost and for some a little too much rain. It's been a mixed bag, in other words typical spring weather, around the country this week.

The West Coast had a good dollop or rain this week but generally there's been fine spring weather around the country which has got grass pulsing and helped lamb survival rates. With buds bursting on trees and vines, growers are on the alert for frost.

Gisborne has had the rain it's been waiting for. Hoggets have been going through the shearing sheds in Central Otago. Lambing is underway and a minus seven degree frost on Monday had the babies rubbing up against mum to keep warm.

Rain has been welcomed in Hawkes Bay and in Otago farmers would like ewes to hold onto their lambs until the threat of snow passes.

Bay of Plenty kiwifruit growers are finishing off winter pruning and having the end of season tidy up. With good weather across Canterbury and winter feed crops mostly finished, tractors have been busy cultivating paddocks for spring sowing.

Vegetable crops are on a bit of a go-slow in the Pukekohe district because it's been so wet and in Southland farmers are doing the rounds to check for cast ewes...

In Waikato a dairy consultant says it's been the best winter he can remember. A good week of weather in Canterbury has allowed cropping farmers to get on with planting spring barley.

It's been wet and warm in northern parts of the North Island. Lambs are appearing in Canterbury and calving is in full swing on dairy farms.

Pukekohe has had near perfect winter growing conditions and vegetables are in heavy supply. Pruning is in full swing in Marlborough's vineyards while on high country properties merinos are on winter rotation.

King Country farmers are spreading out ewes into lambing paddocks and are innoculating them before lambing. Agricultural work has ground to a halt this week while farmers wait for things to dry out in Canterbury.

The Pukekohe district in Auckland's south has had an unsettled week with rain and showers. Temperatures have been higher than expected in mid-July which means that crops are growing steadily. Central Otago sheep farmers are pre-lamb shearing.

Bay of Plenty farmers have had a kind winter, it is not too wet and they have very good pasture covers. Calving should begin in earnest next week. It has been another stunning week in Canterbury with dry and mild conditions which have allowed some farmers to get onto paddocks and start preparing them for spring crops.

Farmers in Northland are in good spirits because they've hardly had to put on their wet weather gear. Canterbury's had another amazing weather week with the temperature gauge nudging 20 degrees on Wednesday. The first spring lambs are appearing nearer the coast.

Gisborne has had good weather for picking mandarins but the frosty starts have growers nervous. Wintering stock is going well in Canterbury with no mud and great utilisation of feed.

Frosts have catapulted the central North Island into winter. In Southland farmers are putting sheep onto crops but crutching has been held up by rain.

A selection of farmers tell us about conditions in their part of the country and how they feel about farming. Waikato, King Country, Taupo, Canterbury, West Coast, Central Otago.

Wet muddy conditions have halted work on some market gardens near Pukekohe and in the South Island, the West Coast's had its first winter frost.

Rain in Waikato has been just what the doctor ordered. Pasture is growing but moisture is really needed to wet up the subsoil. It has been another stunning week in Canterbury with warm and mostly dry conditions. Farmers have been able to plant catch crops after early grazed fodder beet which is much earlier than normal.

Waikato dairy farms and cows are looking a lot better now than they were a month ago, and West Coast dairy cows are getting feed supplements to keep them topped up.

High winds in Manawatu have seen debris blown all over farms and, in the South Island, RSE workers are busy pruning grapevines.

The kumara harvest is 95 percent complete and growers have had a dream run. In the South Island pasture growth in Marlborough is up 30 to 40 percent on usual for the time of year.

Taranaki has had cold southerly winds and heaps of rain. Dairy farmers are mainly still milking but will dry off earlier than they had hoped. Pasture growth remains higher than normal in Canterbury for the time of year. Dairy heifers that have completed their May to May contract are on the move..

Confident sheep and beef farmers are paying top money and have out-bid foresters for land on the North Island's East Coast. In the South Island apple harvesting's almost finished in the Nelson Motueka region.

It's been a marvellous week for harvesting kiwifruit in Bay of Plenty. On Marlborough hill farms calf weaning has finished and ewes are on a fast rotation while the ram is out.

Hawkes' Bays grape harvest is 80 to 90 percent through. Horowhenua's had good grass growth but temperatures have taken a dive. Some rain and cooler temperatures this week in Canterbury have seen irrigators turned off and some put away for the season.

North Island grape growers have had ideal weather for their harvest so far and, in the South Island, Canterbury has had its first frost of the season. Read our guide to what's happening on NZ farms and orchards.

Hawkes Bay is looking for rain to freshen things up and get autumn growth moving. There is plenty of feed on farms but it is not good quality. Calf sales have got underway in South Otago and prices are back a bit on last year.

Paddocks are greening up in many North Island places while in the South Island Marlborough is going quickly from brown to green.

In Bay of Plenty the kiwifruit export picking season has started, and, for the first time ever, Zespri will pack more gold kiwifruit than green this season. Marlborough farms are looking a picture after about 65 millimetres of rain this week.

Beautiful gentle rain has been falling in King Country and Nelson/Mouteka has had a good dose too.

The tomato harvest is coming to an end in Gisborne, maize silage is being cut across the North Island and in south Otago, shearing continues.

Even previously green areas in the North Island are suddenly looking very dry. Southland's still got green grass and crops are growing, but all farmers, and some orchardists, want the predicted rain to arrive this weekend.

Coastal North Taranaki is very dry. There's a lot of feeding out taking place and, because of the shortage of feed, animals are being culled. Another hot dry week in Mid-Canterbury's allowed arable farmers to make full advantage of the conditions. The bulk of the harvest has been done with later crops still to go.

[image:184823:full] The North Island is generally coping well with the summer conditions, but in the South Island the Tasman district and Eastern Marlborough are very dry. Irrigation supplies are being restricted.

Both the North and South Islands have been dripping under sweltering temperatures but generally the North Island farms have good amounts of feed. In Canterbury spring barley is going off for Gladfield malt.

Taranaki is well set up. There's been plenty of rain and lots of silage and hay cut. Milk production is about 7 percent. In Southland there's heaps of baleage being made and everyone's getting the last of the winter crops in.

Taranaki is looking very green and farmers are complaining that it's harder to manage a surplus of feed than a deficit. Milk production is about 7 percent ahead of last season. Artifical insemination of cows is continuing on Southland dairy farms and the first draft of lambs are being weaned.

In the Bay of Plenty, kiwifruit orchard bees are pretty well all through their pollination work. Some places here got well over 100mm of rain this week. Contractors on the West Coast are flatstick making silage and the oat crop is being harvested.

Mainly light winds with some sunshine and showers graced South Auckland. Ideal conditions for strong growth of outdoor crops and the transplanting of new ones. Lamb growth has slowed with the poor weather in Canterbury.

Rain in Wairarapa has set the region up for December, but pumps are draining floodwater from Taieri farms in the South Island.

Gisborne farmers are thrilled with the prices they're receiving for their lambs - $140 dollars straight off their mothers. Southland arable farmers need the rain to stop.

Bay of Plenty's had glorious days. Silage is being cut here too, there's plenty of grass around. The West Coast is mopping up after a deluge. Queenstown had snow in the hills and then 22 degree days.

South Auckland received 50 millimetres or more of rain. It was most welcome but delayed spuds, onion and carrot harvesting. It's been a typical wet and windy October for coastal Southland. It's a battle to get crops in ground.

Jessie Waite works for Federated Farmers.The 26-year-old is one of three winners of the 2018 NZ Young Farmers Excellence Awards recognising members who are leaders, achievers and role models.

The North Island is desperately waiting for rain while snow fell on Central Otago ranges. Welcome rain arrived in many South Island regions, but more is needed.

In Waikato cows are milking well, maize is going in, silage is being cut, asparagus is shooting away. Farmers in South Otago are preparing paddocks for winter crops.

Welcome rain has fallen in the North and South Island. Substantial snow has fallen in Central Otago but elsewhere in the south lambs are growing well in good conditions.

Waikato welcomed a drink this week and the West Coast is flush with grass.

Marlborough farmers and grape growers have been revelling in the sunshine. In the North Island it's been bitterly cold in places and wet - again.

Vegetable growers around Pukekohe had been contemplating turning on their irrigation systems but rain saved the day.

The North Island has warmed up this week as the southerly died away and the sun appeared. In the South Island it was similar with plenty of sunshine and fruit trees in blossom.

A cold southerly has been ripping through the North Island, and despite the southerly blast in Canterbury, lambing and calving have gone very well and farmers are in good spirits.

Waikato farms are very wet underfoot and farmers are waiting for a spring surge in grass growth. In Canterbury winter feed paddocks are being planted into a range of crops and spring fertiliser is being applied.

Many North Island regions are swimming in water again after heavy downpours this week, while in Central Otago apricot trees are in full blossom

Waikato farms on heavy soils are pugging again following more rain. The fabulous weather pattern just keeps on coming for Canterbury and it's making lambing, calving and ground preparation for spring crops very easy.

Grass is growing in most North Island areas with warmer than normal soil temperatures. Farmers in Marlborough are break feeding stock and calving is in full swing on most South Island dairy farms.

The North Island is generally quite mild while Marlborough has a flush of lambs arriving.

Hopes are high for a good lambing on the North Island's East Coast, Marlborough's had enough rain for now, and in Central Otago there's been some growth.

Many North Island regions are feeling very sodden, although a milder week in King Country raised soil temperatures and put a green tinge on low pasture covers. Grape pruning continues in Marlborough. One grower says his 35 hectare block near Seddon will be finished by the end of next week.

Gisborne has had a couple of frosts and quite strong nor-west winds. Karamea, on the South Island's West Coast, had a mid-week down pour of about 150 millimetres.

There was sunshine amidst the mist in Northland on Friday morning. Feed levels on farms are very low. Dairy farmers in Canterbury are getting very close to calving with many reporting to already having a few calves on the ground.

Waikato has been cold, wet and miserable but there have been three good frosts. Ewe scanning is in full swing in Marlborough and results are up about 10 per cent on last year.

It has been so wet in Gisborne that farm bikes can't be used in places and farmers are having to saddle up their horses. Marlborough started off wet and ended with frost and a fresh skiff of snow on the ranges.

Five contestants from the National Fieldays Rural Catch of the Year competition talk about conditions on the land and their love of farming.

Parts of Waikato had 100 millimetres of rain at the weekend and there was surface flooding. Pruning is underway on all fruit crops in the Nelson / Motueka region.

Apple pruning is well underway in Hawkes Bay in cold but excellent conditions. Winter has arrived in Canterbury bringing with it frosts and snow on the mountains.

The country's transformed in the past week from cruisy autumn to wet and cold. Kiwifruit harvesting still has a long way to go.

It is getting wet underfoot in Taranaki so farmers feel they have had enough rain. Rams in Marlborough have completed their work on hill country farms and sheep scanning is underway.

Warm weather has blessed the North Island this week, and while the South Island's generally been lovely too, the temperatures are dipping quickly down south.

Many North Island areas received good volumes of welcome rain last weekend, some dairy herds are being dried off and the South Island feijoas, apples and kiwifruit are filling Tasman's cool stores.

Many North Island areas are looking forward to forecast rain this weekend. Northern Southland's having a magnificent autumn.

The apple harvest is coming to an end in Hawke’s Bay and almost all the grapes are in. Early signs of winter appeared last weekend in Canterbury with a couple of light frosts. Farmers have been busy planting autumn wheat while ground conditions are dry.

Farmers across the country have been reaching for their winter woolies this week. The apple harvest in Hawkes Bay has only a couple of weeks to run. Weaning is underway in Marlborough. One farmer says calf weights are up 15 to 20 kilograms on last year.

Dry, mild weather with a stray shower or two prevailed this week in Pukekohe. Many vegetables are now in heavier supply and retail prices have eased. Canterbury is fully into autumn mode with all stock behind a wire and baleage being fed to slow the rotation length. Paddocks are being prepared for autumn sown cereal crops.

Grass is growing at a phenomenal rate in the North Island. Central Otago's hills are looking green and the flats below them even greener. In Southland winter crops are growing well and baleage has been spaced out in the crop paddocks ready for break-feeding a bit further down the track.

Many North Island regions are continuing to cut silage or baleage which is most unusual for this time of year. In the South Island wet weather's making harvesting of grapes in Marlborough very very challenging and it's halting apple picking around the Tasman district.

Taranaki's had some decent weather. Areas that were exceptionally dry until the end of February have had good rain but are still reasonably short of grass and both pasture and cow condition need to recover. A huge amount of silage and bailage is being made across Southland and summer crop paddocks are being worked up for winter grass.

Extremely heavy downpours of rain in the central North Island this week have resulted in massive slips, road blockages and power cuts. West Coast dairy farmers are starting to de-stock and pregnancy testing is past the half-way point. In South Otago meetings are taking place to discuss Mycoplasma bovis and on-farm biosecurity.

Weaner fairs are just starting in Northland and prices are expected to be on a par with last year. Waikato farmers are still making silage which is a rare occurrence for early March. More rain at the start of the week in Canterbury has been great for pasture and greenfeed growth, but continues to make harvesting crops very difficult.

Taranaki farmers have been mucking in together and sharing generators to get cows milked. There's cleaning up to do following damage from former cyclone Gita.

Hawkes Bay apple growers are flat out harvesting Royal Gala, which account for about 40 percent of regions apple crop. Plums are being picked and apple and pear harvesting is due to start soon in Central Otago.

The Gisborne region is flush with feed. Some Marlborough grape growers have been battling powdery mildew and botrytis thanks to unusually moist conditions.

East Coast cropping farmers are flat out. Sweetcorn is coming to an end, the first shipment of squash has left for Japan and brassica crops are maturing quickly. A storm on the West Coast has damaged crops, brought down trees and left a farmer in Hokitika without power in his milking shed.

Most of the North Island is looking surprisingly green, Marlborough is too but farms at the bottom of the South Island are experiencing drought-like conditions

There will be no asparagus on the Christmas dinner table in Horowhenua - moisture stress has left the plants tired and sad. Most people have completed the final wire lift in vineyards across the top of the South Island and are into leaf plucking and foliage spraying.

Most of the North Island hoped in vain for passing thunder storms to drop rain this week, but only Gisborne, parts of Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa were lucky. In the South Island rain did fall in Canterbury but for many it was too little too late. Even the West Coast held a pre-drought meeting this week.

The East Coast's been warm with no wind which farmers have loved but they're all mindful it's getting dry. That's not reflected in sale yard prices yet however, the store market for lambs and cattle is strong. The top of the South Island is very dry. Farmers are flat out weaning lambs and trading cattle are going to the works as everyone gets down to capital stock.

Northland has had a good week with sunshine during the day and showers at night. There is enough rain to keep pasture ticking over which means there's still good demand for store cattle at the sale yards. Feed is tight and dryland crops are showing moisture stress in parts of Canterbury that had no rainfall in November.

Hot, calm days are suiting bees on orchards, but Hawkes Bay hasn't had any significant rain for six or seven weeks and it needs some. Eastern Marlborough is drying up too so farmers are offloading lambs and surplus ewes.

Very little grass silage has been made in dairy farming areas of the North Island so farmers are being warned they probably won't be able to buy any when they need it.

Hawkes Bay farmers are looking forward to the predicted moisture arriving this weekend. Milk production on dairy farms is ahead of last year and cows have been cycling particularly well. Canterbury's dried out very quickly over the last week after several days of nor west winds. The first of the new seasons lambs are being drafted at very good prices.

Maize is germinating well in most North Island areas, it's a little later going in than normal, and asparagus has had a terrific growing week. Lamb marking is in full swing in Central Otago and farmers are busy making hay, silage and bailage.

In King Country fine weather is let docking gangs separate thousands of lambs from their tails, and asparagus is growing better with warmer, drier conditions . Farmers in Canterbury are planting fodder beet and kale, while contractors are burning the midnight oil as they try and catch up on the previous wet weather periods.

At last some more stable fine weather is letting North Island farmers get onto cultivating pastures and making silage, while at the top of South Island flower bud thinning is underway in kiwifruit orchards.

Waikato has had a break from relentless rain this week but Canterbury has had plenty; 100 mils fell across the region halting cultivating, drilling and the spreading of fertiliser.

Docking has continued in King Country this week between the showers and despite muddy tracks and puddles in gateways. Wairarapa is looking lush, The planting of fodder beet and barley crops is underway in Canterbury.

In Horowhenua and it's hard to get any summer crops into the ground. Asparagus harvesting is underway but yields are down on last year. A good weather week in Canterbury has seen a flurry of activity on farms as things again dry out from a previously wet week.

Hill country Wairarapa farmers are expecting grass growth to rocket away after recent rain. Calving is drawing to a close in Southland and lambing has settled down after a run of wet weather.

Canterbury is drying out, allowing crops to be planted and paddocks that were in Kale and Beet cultivated. The North Island had a very warm end to the week.

The North Island is still swimming in water with regular heavy downpours, but ground temperatures are picking up. Temperatures are moving up in the South Island too, but the West Coast had a horror week of weather.

Bay of Plenty kiwifruit orchardists are struggling to complete winter work because of the rain, but daffodils are looking cheerful on roadsides. There's been flurry of activity on arable farms in Canterbury as growers prepare ground for planting spring crops, although everything has ground to a halt again with rain at the end of the week.

Wet conditions on Marlborough farms are making it hard to get the lambs docked and brilliant sunshine has graced much of the North Island.

It's sounding like a broken record, but apart from Hawkes Bay and East Coast, it's still exceedingly wet everywhere in the North Island. The South Island's also very wet apart from South Otago and Southland.

The North Island's still totally over flowing with water and in the South Island, Marlborough farms are well into lambing while those in Southland are just starting.

The North Island's had a string of crispy frosty mornings which is helping dry out water logged pastures and lifting farmers' spirits. Calving is in full swing in Canterbury. Sheep farmers in Central Otago are in the thick of scanning and pre-lamb shearing.

The entire North Island remains totally water logged. The wet conditions are putting stress on all types of farming. Only five millimetres of rain turns soils to bogs. West Coast farmers are getting bobby pens ready as they head into the busy calving period.

The East Coast soils are absolutely chocker with water, especially on the flats, which are of minimal value for grazing. Canterbury's very wet too and there's and at least 100 millimetres of rain's forecast for the next couple of days.

Areas of Manawatu that never see snow received up to 15 centimetres on Thursday, Rotorua city had snow flurries, and outlying areas like Mamaku and Rerewhikaaitu had heavy snow on the ground.  Flood waters also covered paddocks in southern Wairarapa. In the South Island the forecast snow arrived in Canterbury. Between 5 and 20 centimetres of snow was common across the Plains.

Northland continues to be very wet making ground conditions difficult particularly with calving now underway. In Canterbury prices for top sheep and cattle dogs have remained strong at the 61st annual Ashburton Sheep and Cattle Dog Sale.

Frosty conditions have hit the North Island this week, but despite very little rain, conditions underfoot are extremely mushy. Canterbury dairy farmers are busy heavy rolling their dairy platforms while the cows are off farm for winter.

In Canterbury it's been dry enough for stock to make good use of feed and even put on condition. Most of the North Island had a good dollop of rain late in the week.

The price of kumara has shot up because a bad growing season, coupled with appalling weather during the main harvest time in autumn, has seen a 35% drop in volume compared with normal years. Heavy frosts hit Marlborough this week but the days were gloriously fine for pruning grape vines.

Mild, calm weather has been good for vegetable crops in the Pukekohe district and in Otago, electric pruners are chopping through the work in apricot orchards.

On Central North island hill country farms second shearing continues and farmers are cracking on with maintenance. In Canterbury large numbers of dairy cows have moved from dairy farms to support blocks and runoffs.

It's been foggy, frosty and wet in the North Island and belatedly the green kiwifruit harvest is starting to hum. Meanwhile in Central Otago, temperatures have been below zero and stock are being fed plenty of supplements.

The dairy season is coming to an abrupt halt in the North Island and in the South, winter's made an appearance.

Rain arrived onto already wet pastures in the North Island and in the South, it's becoming too cold for the grass to grow in Central Otago.

More dairy herds are being dried off, or slowed to once a day milking now and there's the first snow on some North Island ranges. Southland dairy farms are also moving down to 16-hour-a-day milking in order to keep the season going as long as possible.

Lovely calm and sunny days, with cool nights, let North Island farmers and croppers get onto the land for cultivation or repair work, and the kiwifruit harvest had an uninterrupted week for a change. In Mid-Canterbury arable farmers are busy planting winter wheat and barley along with some late planted ryegrass for seed.

The North Island is drying out after the Easter rain, and cool temperatures are helping kiwifruit mature. The rams out in force on hill country farms in Marlborough and there's tons of feed around, while farmers in the lower country are gearing up to get the Ewes scanned.

Many North Island farms have saturated soils after a week of rain and in-between the downpours contractors are trying to harvest maize. In the South Island rain is destroying grape crops in Malborough while in Southland more rain would be welcome.

The country's largest on-farm deer sale was held on High Peak Station, Mid Canterbury, this week and Edgecumbe farms are swamped. Much of the rest of the North Island is sodden too.

Bay of Plenty dairy farms are having a decent autumn but wet weather has interrupted the kiwifruit harvest. Grapes in Marlborough need more sun to ripen and in Southland store prices are on the rise so lambs are flooding into the works.

Maize is being harvested in Waikato and the first kiwifruit exports left for China this week. Marlborough farmers are busy setting up rotations around tupping blocks for ewes. In vineyards the bulk of the grape crop needs two more weeks of sun to ripen.

In Bay of Plenty the first of the Sun Gold kiwifruit are being harvested in sunny conditions. Kiwifruit are also being picked in Poverty Bay and Northland. On the West Coast of the South Island lots of silage is being made, paddocks are being cultivated and remedial work on damaged pasture is underway.

Northland, Auckland and Coromandel were swamped in a one in 100 year deluge this week, while elsewhere in the North Island the rainfall was more gentle, welcome and has grass growth pumping. In the South Island night temperatures have dropped quickly but often stunning days are following.

The North Island is having a late summer and store lamb prices have increased, while in the South Island some farmers on the West Coast have turned their irrigation on! And a haze is in the air as mid Canterbury farmers are now allowed to burn stubble

In orchards around the country apples are coming off thick and fast. Paddocks are greening up in front of farmers' eyes in the North Island but in the South Island, North Canterbury is worryingly dry.

The North Island has had soaking good rain this week. Dairy cow pregnangy rates are generally down this season, between 15 to 20% are empty. In Central Otago high country weaning is in full swing and store lambs are on the move.

Rain's fallen in Northland, East Coast and Hawkes Bay, but follow-up is crucial and the drought's not broken. In the South Island farmers in South Canterbury and central Otago have plenty of supplements stored for winter.

Industry leaders from seven top beef producing nations have been in New Zealand to discuss the trials of farming beef and selling it to the world.  

An aerospace company has brought engineers from all over the world to the end of the isolated Mahia Peninsula. For locals, it's meant an injection of young blood and enthusiasm.

Forty Waikato teachers met last week to hear about bringing agri-science alive in the classroom.

Parts of the North Island have had sweltering temperatures this week but Horowhenua has been cool and gloomy.

Large, established honey companies make a lot of money from the manuka-covered hills of the East Coast. While the beehive rental money coming from manuka-based businesses is sizeable, some local Ngati Porou want to take control of the industry themselves. In the past two years they've been getting paid in drums of honey rather than money, and now they're selling that honey through a Japanese connection. The collective aims to have up to 12,000 hives on tribal land, providing at least 30 new jobs.

Fruit growing roots run deep in the Gilchrist family – with Jack joining forces with his grandad John to become a fifth-generation orchardist on the slopes of the mighty Clutha River.

Fonterra's announcement of a lift in the dairy payout has been just the tonic farmers needed as they come out of a tiring, wet spring. Marlborough farmers should be drafting lambs and cattle now but that's on hold due to road damage from the earthquake.

Top of the South Rural Support Trust co-ordinator Ian Blair's priority is to get to isolated families. The main issues arising from the earthquake have been food, sanitation, power and communication.

North Island calves and lambs need more sun on their backs and, in the South Island, Otago is having a great spring.

In Bay of Plenty gold kiwifruit are flowering and bees are being deposited around orchards while in Canterbury baleage contractors are flat out and recently sown kale and fodder beet crops are emerging.

Good sized yardings of cattle are coming forward in the North Island now the grass is starting to grow. Prices are high. New season store lambs are also fetching high prices which is surprising when some commentators are saying the export schedule will drop this year.

It's been mild around the North Island, early maize is popping up and the weather's improved for general tractor work on paddocks. In the South Island wonderful rain has fallen in drought hit North Canterbury, although aquifers are still not replenished.

It's felt like summer on the east coast of the North Island this week, but farmers are still squelching around in paddocks over much of the island. In the south, farmers are getting crops in and lambs are being tailed.

It's been exceptionally wet in most North Island areas this week, from Auckland south through the central regions, streams are overflowing. In the South Island cropping farmers are able to get tractor work completed and seeds in.

Soils are completely saturated in parts of the North Island - but on the west coast of the South, it's been dry.

Welcome rain has been falling in coastal Wairarapa and crops are going in in Canterbury.

Warm and moist conditions in the North Island are pushing grass growth, and asparagus along, while in the South Island arable farmers have been preparing ground and sowing spring cereals.

Lamb deaths are expected following this week's cold snap which has brought snow and bitterly cold conditions to North and South Island hill country.

The price of indoor tomatoes has shot up and early stone fruit trees are in flower in the north of the South Island.