It has been a mixed bag for New Zealand’s crops this summer with bad weather contributing to poor yields for many crops. However, maize has been performing better than expected. 

Federated Farmers Grain and Seed Vice-Chairman Hew Dalrymple said a combination of drought, the mistiming of rain events and the Fusarium Disease hitting the roots of winter wheat has led to poor national yields.

Canterbury, the dominant cereal growing region had a particularly poor season, hit hard by Fusarium which stops the roots getting enough of a hold in the soil to supply enough energy to fill the grain.

However, Hew Dalrymple says that maize is the exception to the rule – providing better than expected yields.

“ Maize silage is well through now and the yields have been very good in some areas.

“Talking to people up in the Bay of Plenty yesterday and they said their yields were great, very happy with those.

“Some of the later planted crops down here in the Manawatu/Rangitikei/Wanganui area have had  some poor yields but on the whole where they were planted in good time good yields are coming off.”