Winter grazing - Are we getting some grace?

Despite a one-year deferral of the new winter grazing management provisions, farmers are urged to develop a winter management plan now and use this winter to adopt and trial new practices.

The government’s decision to defer the proposed intensive winter grazing regulations for a year has given some relief to those wondering how they will comply with some of the rules. The one-year deferral will allow a newly developed Southland Winter Grazing Advisory Group which includes Environment Southland, Beef + Lamb, DairyNZ, Fish & Game and Federated Farmers to develop an 'intensive winter grazing’ module, with input from the government and iwi. Practices will be tested and deployed in 2022 and incorporated into the farm environment plan (FEP) system nationwide. This process has promised final rules and provisions that are practical and workable for farmers and help achieve the environmental outcomes everybody wants to see.

Even with the extra year, farmers are being urged to adopt careful winter grazing management this year. It is the period where farmers can show that they already implement good management practice.

The winter planning process is not a difficult one but can be used as evidence to show auditors and the industry how winter crops are managed and that best practices are followed. It involves planning and recording how crops are being managed, photographing paddock conditions and developing a winter management plan (including an adverse weather plan).

Some irrigation schemes are investigating FEP audits during the winter period. Last year due to Covid 19, some audits had to be pushed back into June and July and appeared to be very successful. If you are an independent farmer that has winter grazing, it may be useful to schedule your audit in your higher-risk period or making use of industry groups or consultants that can provide support to ensure that your plans and processes are to a high standard. Winter management plans are also useful for staff and if stock is being moved by others (i.e. landowner if on someone else’s block). These plans should be flexible and their success continually monitored so if a practice does not yield the desired results it is replaced and tested with an alternative. This winter is a great time for trialling new methods to see what best fits your system!

Check out our previous blog post for some winter strategies and you can view our mini-series on the new freshwater regulations here!

Written by Amelia Wood. Amelia has been running winter grazing management workshops for CPWL.