Last month was the warmest NZ September on record, and vegetable producers say access to water will be a key consideration over the months ahead. Of the six main centres in September 2023, Auckland was the warmest, Tauranga was the sunniest, Dunedin was the driest, Wellington was the wettest and least sunny and Christchurch was the coolest.
According to Richard Burke, chief executive of LeaderBrand, which grows broccoli, lettuce, sweetcorn, salad leaves and more, said vegetable growers were always keeping an eye on the weather. “It is our livelihood, and it also means that we can organise the farm and our team better knowing the conditions,” he said. ”A dry spell, at this stage, for vegetable growers is a reason to celebrate. After a year of rain, floods and cyclones, the weather really has made it one of our hardest years to grow vegetables on record.”
“Access to water is key to the drier months and thanks to constant rain over the last year, aquifers across the country are currently very full.” He said farmers around the country needed better access to, or ability to store, more water.
Source: stuff.co.nz
