An Arable Industry Marketing Initiative (AIMI) survey of 87 maize growers with data scaled up to a national level showed maize grain and silage yields were up across the nation. Grain tonnages were up 30% from last season and the silage harvest up 9%.
Among the growers surveyed were five from Mid Canterbury and one from South Canterbury/North Otago.
The Mid Canterbury growers harvested 2783ha of silage for nearly 62,000 tonnes of dry matter at 22.2t to the hectare and planned to increase sowing to 2977ha.
South Canterbury/North Otago growers had a yield of 22t/ha from 4650t harvested on 211ha and planned to dial this up to 264ha.
A Mid Canterbury grower intends to sow 520ha of maize grain.
The AIMI survey found Mid Canterbury and northern and southwestern parts of the North Island had good growing seasons.
Elsewhere crops suffered from a wet spring or a combination of this followed by dry conditions, but overall the growing season was better than wet conditions experienced last season.
Nationally, the average yield of maize grain of 11.6t/ha was up on last season’s 10.2t/ha and maize silage’s 21.9t/ha overshadowed the previous 18.8t/ha.
The maize grain harvest was 68% complete on June 1 with the estimated total tonnage of 250,700t, including unharvested grain, up 30% on last season’s harvest tonnage as a result of an increased yield of 14% and increased harvest area by 14%.
Just under 88% of the total crop had been sold by then, leaving 30,400t held by growers, compared with 16,700t unsold at the same time last year.
Spring sowing intentions were estimated to be 27% lower than last season.
All the maize silage had been harvested with the estimated total of 1,114,600t up 9% as a result of yields up 17% from a harvest area down 6%.
About 57% of the total silage crop had been sold or used, with a leftover of 481,700t compared with 363,100t at the same time last year.
Spring sowing intentions were down 12% on last season.
The AIMI survey found an overproduction of silage from less demand from dairying and many farmers making their own grass silage or baleage during a good growing season.
Unsold silage crops left for grain, less dairy demand and a carry-over of grain from last season contributed to an over-supply and large drop in price.
Grain crops were left standing as there was nowhere to store them as silos were already full, or growers have been forced to pay for alternative storage.
The flow-on effect for the coming season is expected to result in a drop in sowing intentions and contracts with prices too low compared with increased growing costs.
