Rural Communities Report June 2026 – Colin Hannah

Reporting on Fieldays, Weather Events and the Economics of Rural New Zealand

There was a frost here in the North whilst I was at Fieldays, which would be the first in two years. Hopefully, this will kill a few bugs, but it is more likely to turn the pasture brown. Much of the pasture in Northland is Kikuyu, and it doesn’t really like frosts, or rather, it’s allergic to such conditions. It could create some problems in the spring if it doesn’t spring back into life early enough to meet on-farm feed demands through September and October. Nutrient availability will be a big factor.

This season across New Zealand has been one of the best that farmers have experienced, certainly in Northland, this is the case. Grass growth has been exceptional, and the dairy payout has been good, and then the Fonterra settlement and a return to farmers of their capital tied up in the company was welcomed. Beef prices have been the highest ever, led by the demand for protein, and the American cattle herd has been the lowest for 70 years. Currently, it looks like the beef demand will be good for at least two years.

Seven weather events this year have placed pressure on farmers, Civil Defence, council staff, and other government agencies along the east coast of the North Island. Northlanders are familiar with these challenges, and their resilience remains a hallmark of the region. This month, two community dinners were well attended, with more than 120 people at Tangiteroria and over 90 registered for Broadwood. Located on the northern shores of the Hokianga, Broadwood is a more challenging area to farm.

There was a positive energy that hadn’t been noticed in a while with the attendees at Tangiteroria. It was a great family event.

Planning for a possible Foot and Mouth incursion in New Zealand is underway, but one of the standouts was the absence of a health team from the planning and exercises. Health had been contacted, but didn’t place the same urgency on the likely impact of such an incursion simply because they didn’t understand the ramifications. Gill has made contact with MPI, and a representative from Hauora Taiwhenua will be at the top table because the human aspect will have a longer tail than the animal issues. Foot and mouth would absolutely devastate the New Zealand economy for a considerable period. Thank you, Gill.

The National Fieldays was a hive of activity, and I certainly got a buzz out of it. A record number of visitors through the hub was the standout, followed by the acknowledgment of 10 years of Health activity at the Fieldays from the Fieldays management. Mark, Andrew and the rest of the team have shown huge commitment over that time to get it to where it is today. It certainly has grown, and a huge change in attitude towards health in that time. My experience at the first event, the first mention of health and males sped up as they went past the entrance. Many came in to see us under duress, hauled in by their partners. It is great that rural males are now paying more attention to their health, which is a positive change.

An acknowledgement of our student team this year and their contribution to a great Fieldays. A big thank you to Tim, with his Oral Health hat on, for making the trek from the deep south to come to the Fieldays. For us, with a major issue around Oral Health, particularly in the Far North Area, we made progress. The plan to utilise the army services was put to bed, and a new plan is being developed. This is promising.

The El Niño change could impact New Zealand farmers in the late spring. It could turn to dry conditions, which will impact all farmers. It will impact some food availability in urban centres.

The price of fuel has certainly impacted farm costs this season. For the first time, farmers have planned better before they jump in the Ute to come to town. Harvesting costs have risen appreciably. Hopefully, the drop in oil prices below $100.00 a barrel will begin to reduce on-farm costs. Food costs have risen across the board. I am noticing it at community dinners, with increasing costs and meat companies thinking twice before contributing. We relate this cost to the expense of putting food on families’ kitchen tables. Community dinner costs have risen more than 75% from this time a year ago. Much of the increase is due to the cost of meat and salad vegetables. We have recently offset some costs by switching to pork, which is a third of the price of beef. It does require more work, as the pork is cooked off-site and needs more precise preparation.

Looking at the cost and availability of fertiliser is another issue that, as long as the Strait of Hormuz blockage continues, the production loss across New Zealand will indirectly impact the availability of food and its price. Previously, farmers grew crops that suited the season; today, our population requires crops much of the year. This is done by adding nutrients to the soil, plus nitrogen, to grow almost year-round. Access to high-analysis fertilisers is essential. Often, high-analysis fertiliser is a byproduct of the oil industry.