The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is providing extra targeted support for lifestyle block owners to help them prepare for El Niño.
"If you own a lifestyle block it’s important you have a plan to get through El Niño, especially if you have animals," MPI’s national response manager in Agriculture and Investment Services Andrew Curtis says.
"El Niño can bring an increased risk of drought and water scarcity, wildfires, heat-related human and animal health concerns, along with flooding.
"Dry weather can decrease grass growth. That means you might have to buy in extra feed, or reduce livestock numbers, to ensure your remaining animals have enough to eat."
Earth Sciences New Zealand is anticipating a significant El Niño could influence weather patterns from this spring onwards. This could mean less rainfall in the east of both islands and the upper North Island.
"We’re encouraging animal owners to be prepared. That could mean prioritising livestock for destocking early and booking in water tank refills in advance," Mr Curtis says.
"It’s important to ensure animals have access to clean water, shade and shelter, and are shorn (if necessary) before it gets too hot.
"We often find people are under prepared, especially if they’re relatively new to owning livestock, or they haven’t been through a drought before.
"Owning animals, such as cattle, sheep, and horses, is a big responsibility and comes with added obligations under the Animal Welfare Act."
Ahead of summer, MPI is providing extra targeted support for lifestyle block owners to help improve animal husbandry skills and animal welfare outcomes.
"We’ve developed a new web page that brings together a lot of information and resources specifically for lifestyle block owners," Mr Curtis says.
"It contains a handy new seasonal calendar and a fact sheet to support animal owners to prepare for dry weather.
"El Niño increases the risk of wildfires. We’ve included links to an emergency preparedness handbook and emergency plan template developed specifically for lifestyle block owners.
"Veterinarians, rural professionals, neighbours, and rural communities are also a vital source of knowledge to help you prepare."
Guidance for lifestyle block owners about their responsibilities