While many parts of the country enjoyed some Christmas rain, the Manawatu region has endured one of the driest starts to summer on record.

Palmerston North recorded a staggering average temperature of nearly 23 degrees over December, while rainfall sat way below average.

Manawatu Federated Farmers dairy chair, Robert Irvine, says this has forced many farmers to offload stock just to keep afloat.

"If you want to shift any surplus stock, it's something like a two week wait at the meatworks to get animals killed, so that's another drain on farmers."

It’s been 8 years since the region’s last drought, but Irvine says an official declaration is due next week.

"We're talking to the right people, it's important to support neighbours and friends and remind everyone to take the necessary action."