Matt Ward, Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s GM North Island, says the government has made it very clear that winter grazing practices will be under close scrutiny again this winter and it is up to all farmers to implement practices that reduce the impact winter grazing has on soil and water quality.
He says simple management practices, such as identifying and excluding grazing stock from critical source areas and setting up the break so the crop is grazed across the slope and from the top of the paddock, can all make a big difference to the protection of soil and water resources.
Typically these practices will also benefit livestock health so it is a win:win for production and the environment.
Matt encourages farmers to use the tools available on the B+LNZ website to put a management plan in place well before winter.
He says B+LNZ has been working alongside industry partners such as DairyNZ and central and local government to update its winter grazing resources.
A new winter grazing workshop has been piloted in Southland and will be rolled out nationally in the coming months.
For tools and resources to help reduce the impact of winter grazing go to: https://beeflambnz.com/wintergrazing/pre-grazing
Read more about winter grazing workshops next week in next week’s e-diary.
