A Northland dairy farmer is warning a repeat of last season's drought could be in store for the region unless more rain falls before Christmas.
Bill Guest of Dargaville says recent rain has been a welcome relief but more is needed.
He says the water tables were low throughout winter and in October there was 30% more sunlight.
"If we don't get 100 millimetres of rain this side of Christmas we'll have a real risk of a repeat of last Summer. The moisture levels are just not in that soil," he says.
"The rain we've had this week is only 30 millimetres or an inch and any rain is welcome, but the fact is we need a significant deluge of rain. An inch is just not enough. All you need is a week of warm winds in Northland and things can change dramatically."
Mr Guest says a repeat of last summer's drought would mean several farms folding.
