NZ Dairy Autumn 2021

90 | nz dairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Paul Franklin Further investment Kim Newth C entral Hawkes Bay farmer Paul Franklin has long recognised the crucial role water plays in sustaining dairying in the drought-prone region. It’s why he invested in a 500,000m3 water storage dam some eight years ago and is now planning to further expand its capacity. While Paul has water rights to draw from the nearby Waipawa River to irrigate Springhill Dairies adjoining farms near Onga Onga, which is inland from Waipukurau – a 517ha and a 508ha unit, both milking 1400 cows each – he can only take water from the river when it is flowing above the approved minimum flow. The decision to build a dam on his 508ha unit came as a result of a particularly dry summer that saw his access to this river water cut off for three and a half months. Building on-farm water storage to cover the dry spells was the obvious solu- tion. Winter rainfall fills the dam, providing that much-needed supplementary supply just when it’s needed. Fortunately water is not a problem for another 550ha dairy unit milking 1600 cows and adjoining runoff at Tikokino that Paul added to his dairy business two years ago. He’s currently in the process of building a feed pad on the farm. “It’s got an amazing underground aquifer so there are no issues with water supply there,” he says. Similarly, his fourth dairy block at Eketahuna, where the herd is milked once-a-day (OAD), is in no danger of running out of water as the district gets plenty of rain. It is a different story in Central Hawke’s Bay, where Paul’s access to water from the Waipawa River may be cut off, in a dry summer, from early December. This summer, he didn’t hit that cut-off point until late January, thanks to the good rainfall in November. With the storage dam in place, it means he has another six to eight weeks of irriga- tion water to see him through to autumn. “At the moment the Waipawa River is very low but we’ve been getting some good rain over the past few days so I haven’t been irrigating and the river is coming up a bit. It may mean we’re able to go back on the river for a week’s irrigation.” Yet, access to reliable irrigation water remains an issue of concern. “Last year I ran out of water here completely by mid-February and the drought didn’t break for us until last June.” Building extra storage capacity sometime over the next two or three years is now in Paul’s sights as a way to add further security around irrigation supply. “Given the cost of doing all the engineering work and going through consents, it’s not worth doing it for a small amount of extra water. I’m thinking about putting another three metres on the dam wall, which is 12 metres at the moment. That extra three metres could potentially double the volume of the dam.” Certainly, the region remains very dry. In many ways, the situation in Hawke’s Bay is similar to last year’s drought though November’s timely rainfall has taken the pressure off feed. Paul is also part of a group that has applied for tranche-2 water consents being considered by the regional council. If successful, he would use that water to grow more feed on a run-off block, so as to reduce reliance on palm kernel and other cereals. Other farmers in the area are weighing their op- tions. Some are looking to follow Paul’s example and build storage dams, but not all farms have suitable sites. Obviously, storage dams are not feasible for most flatland farms on the plains. Paul observes that underground storage is another option under investigation in Hawke’s Bay, essentially using winter water flows to recharge underground aquifers. The decision to build a dam on the 508ha unit in Central Hawke’s Bay came after a particularly dry summer that saw access to river water cut off for three and a half months. Proud to support Paul Franklin FOR ALL YOUR AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING REQUIREMENTS Contact: Fogarty Chemical Applicators Ltd Phone Paddy Fogarty WE COVER THE FIELD 4 FULLY COMPUTERISED RIGS Mobile: 027 443-4360, Home: (06) 855-6499 or Paul Nelson: (06) 8 58-7236 • Mobile: 027 254-1544 Registered Chemical Applicators, also Grosafe Registered. Proud to support Paul Franklin For all your dairy livestock requirements contact Brownie: Phone: 027 271 4722 Email: sandfly@xtra.co.nz Pleased to support Paul and Rosie Franklin with their large scale dairy operation