{"id":607177,"date":"2026-09-21T13:58:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T13:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/607177\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T13:58:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T13:58:11","slug":"el-nino-raises-drought-risk-for-new-zealand-growers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/607177\/","title":{"rendered":"El Ni\u00f1o raises drought risk for New Zealand growers"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

New Zealand farmers and growers are being advised to prepare for a potentially dry summer as likely El Ni\u00f1o conditions increase the risk of drought in northern and eastern parts of the country.<\/p>\n

Research from Westpac’s Economics team indicates that, based on previous severe drought events, similar conditions could result in a potential 1% reduction in GDP.<\/p>\n

Westpac NZ Head of Agribusiness Richard Anderson says growers should consider how El Ni\u00f1o could affect their operations and build flexibility into their planning. This includes updating budgets, monitoring weather forecasts, and adjusting operations as conditions develop.
For fruit, grain, and horticultural crops, warmer conditions could provide some benefits, but growers are advised to inspect irrigation systems for leaks, repair valves and pumps, maintain water storage tanks, and account for possible water restrictions.<\/p>\n

Anderson also recommends using previous El Ni\u00f1o events as a reference. Long-term landowners can assess which measures worked during earlier dry periods, while newer operators may be able to obtain information from previous owners.<\/p>\n

Financial planning is also highlighted. Irrigation expenses and other input costs could increase under dry conditions, while on-farm inflation, including higher fuel and fertiliser costs, remains a concern.<\/p>\n

“Arguably the industry is in the best position it’s ever been to face El Ni\u00f1o, thanks to generally low debt levels and high commodity prices,” Anderson says.<\/p>\n

He recommends that growers continue monitoring budgets, cash forecasts, market demand, and price developments throughout the season. “This is where keeping a close eye on your budget and cash forecasts is key. Make sure you have enough cash on hand, keep an eye on markets for demand and price trends, and be prepared to change your approach as weather forecasts change.”<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

Frontpage photo:
\n \u00a9 RachelGunby | Dreamstime
\n <\/a> \n <\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n


\n Source: ruralnewsgroup.co.nz<\/a> \n <\/p>\n


\n
\n Publication date:
\n
\n Mon 21 Sep 2026
\n
\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"\"
\n<\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"\"
\n<\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New Zealand farmers and growers…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":607178,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[111,43,139,69],"class_list":["post-607177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/607177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=607177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/607177\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/607178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=607177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=607177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=607177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}