18 | nzdairy Brilliant summer and autumn for Steve Having faced high costs over the past 18 months, Steve is hopeful of some relief which could include a reduction in interest rates. Russell Fredric The challenges of costs and compliance during the past dairy season were mitigated to a degree by a brilliant summer and autumn on the eastern side of Mt Taranaki, Steve Fabish says. “Some of the coastal areas south to Hawera were quite dry, but we got not huge amounts of rain, just 10 or 20mm a week right from summer right through to late autumn, and had a really brilliant growing season.” Located at Tariki near Inglewood, Steve and his wife Faye’s farm has been their home since 1993. It peak milks 320 Friesian cows on a platform of 111 hectares effective, through a 28 bale rotary shed and is run by lower order sharemilkers Karyn and Tyrone Awahou who have been on the farm for five years, while farm advisor Sarah Burton is also a big part of the team. Situated on flat contour at an elevation of 340 metres above sea level, it is summer safe and usually receives 3000mm to 4000mm of rain a year, but the high rainfall is handled well by the farm’s drainage that lies in free-draining volcanic soils. During the past four to five years 5% of its pastures have been renewed annually so the results of this combined with the consistent rainfall is showing in the milk vat. “We are just trying to improve the grasses, they are original grasses. We are seeing probably 10% improved growth rates [in the pastures] and find that they get away a bit DAIRY PEOPLE » Fabco Enterprises Proud to partner with Fabco Enterprises Proud to support Fabco Enterprises Phone: (06) 756 7785 Mobile: 027 663 5675 Add ress: 34 Richmond St reet, Inglewood 4330 EXPERIENCED SERVICING & REPAIR OF FARM EQUIPMENT Equipment Servicing & Parts Agents of Located at Tariki near Inglewood, Steve and his wife Faye’s farm has been their home since 1993.
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