The weather and its flow-on effects is getting farmers down - and the evidence of that is seen in Rabobank's latest rural confidence survey.
In the three-monthly survey done earlier this month, farmer confidence took a dive for the third consecutive quarter, dropping from 24% to 11%.
Rabobank says drought in the North Island and the high stock losses from the September snowstorms were a major influence in that, but not the only one.
Southern South Island manager Jeffrey Morrison expects the rain that has brought relief to parched areas since the survey was done will be reflected in a lift in optimism in the next one.
He says one area where farmers' outlook remains positive is in their intentions about investing in their farms.
