Dairy farmers in drought-threatened Central Plateau and Bay of Plenty are being advised to keep milking their herds in anticipation of rain.
Dairy NZ's Denis Collins says farmers should take a long-term view of production this season, despite soil moisture deficits continuing to worsen.
He says the focus should be placed on culling low-producing cows which have previously avoided slaughter, and organise pregnancy diagnosis for early January.
NIWA says Turangi is unseasonably dry, with only 20% of maximum soil moisture available. Te Puke has 30%.
Mr Collins says moving from 12 to 16-hour milking can help protect paddocks from over-grazing and lessen the impact on pasture growth.
