Actions for farmers during a drought
Talk to an industry association
Other drought advice and guidance
Monitor your feed situation
Every year, there is potential for dry conditions around the country. This may lead to shortages of feed in some regions. Ongoing feed planning and budgeting is essential.
Feed in dry conditions – Fact sheet [PDF, 980 KB]
Get help with feed planning
Having a feed budget can help you:
- calculate your feed demand
- calculate your feed supply
- investigate options to fill feed gaps
- proactively make decisions.
Getting a plan in place can help give you peace of mind. Farm advisers are available to help you complete a feed budget or source alternative feed.
- For drystock farmers, freephone Beef + Lamb NZ on 0800 BEEFLAMB (0800 23 33 52)
- For dairy farmers, freephone DairyNZ on 0800 4 DairyNZ (0800 43 24 79 69)
Helping hand to find feed
The Feed Coordination Service helps to connect farmers with surplus feed – such as hay, silage, or grazing – to farmers who need it. This national service was reactivated after drought in Southland and parts of Otago, and flooding in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, were classified as adverse events in March 2022.
You can get in touch with a feed coordinator to help find available sources of feed. The service is free and nationwide. Farmers using the service meet the costs of feed and transport.
The feed coordination service is funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), but is administered by Federated Farmers.
To register your request, or if you have feed available, please visit the National Feed Coordination Service
National Feed Coordination Service - fedfarm.org.nz
Or, you can freephone 0800 Farming (0800 32 76 46), select option 2, and request a call back.
Monitoring drought conditions and feed supplies
DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Federated Farmers, and other specialist providers, along with MPI, formed a Feed Working Group in April 2020 during a severe drought when farmers had few options to access supplementary feed. The group takes a national perspective. It monitors access to feed availability, and if a significant need arises provides services and works with local networks.
Contact a Rural Support Trust
Each of the country’s 14 Rural Support Trusts have local, rural people who know from experience that pressures can mount up. Your local trust can provide support and advice. Talking to them is confidential, and free of charge. They can connect you with the services you need, whether it's financial and business advice or health services.
Freephone 0800 78 72 54 (0800 RURAL HELP).
Talk to an industry association
Industry associations like Beef + Lamb New Zealand or DairyNZ can provide technical advice. Their websites have information on planning your feed budget and managing an animal's condition.
Knowledge hub – Beef + Lamb New Zealand
Check your budget
Talk to your bank and accountant early, and talk to them regularly.
Your accountant and Inland Revenue, can answer questions relating to taxes, including access to flexibility provisions to the Income Equalisation Scheme following adverse events.
Extended support for farmers affected by drought – Inland Revenue
Income Equalisation Scheme – Inland Revenue
Family Tax Credits – Inland Revenue
There is some Work and Income support that you could access. Talk to your local Rural Support Trust about emergency benefits, special needs grants, or rural assistance payments.
Emergency Benefit – Work and Income
Special Needs Grant – Work and Income
Rural Assistance Payment – Work and Income
Other drought advice and guidance
Case studies on managing sheep and beef farms through drought:
- Winterhome – Kekerengu, Marlborough [PDF, 1.6 MB]
- Ridgecliff – Banks Peninsula, Canterbury [PDF, 2.4 MB]
- The Homestead – Ward Beach, Marlborough [PDF, 3.5 MB]
- Attadale – Middlemarch, Otago [PDF, 1.1 MB]
Feed and supply chain issues - Beef + Lamb New Zealand
A series of webinars in March 2022 focused on helping farmers prepare for disruptions caused by supply chain issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim was to get farmers thinking about the importance of timely planning. The webinars were recorded and can be viewed on the Beef + Lamb NZ website.
Adapting for supply chain disruption (2 March 2022)
Planning for smart decisions (16 March 2022)
Planning for disruption (30 March 2022)
Other resources
Lifestyle and small block owners: Coping with drought [PDF, 1.9 MB]
Feed in dry conditions – Fact sheet [PDF, 980 KB]
Advice about on-farm emergency euthanasia [PDF, 3.7 MB]
Surviving to thriving – Diary of a drought – FedTalks Podcast
Research on the socio-economic impacts of the 2019/2020 drought
MPI commissioned the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) to draft a report on the socio-economic impacts of the 2019/2020 drought.
Economic impacts of the 2019 drought [PDF, 3.3 MB]
Who to contact
If you have questions about droughts or support for farmers, email info@mpi.govt.nz