In a season where commodity prices are looking good and finance costs are starting to ease there’s never been a better time to catch up on pasture renovation.
Pasture isn’t just a backdrop - it’s the engine room of Kiwi farming. Every kilo of milk solids, every kilo of meat, every dollar at the farm gate starts with how well your paddocks perform.
Why renovation pays – fast
A tired paddock sitting at 12t DM/ha can be lifted to 18t DM/ha with a full regrass. That’s an extra 6t DM/ha worth around $4,975/ha. After covering regrassing costs of roughly $1,300/ha, you’re still banking $3,675/ha - in year one alone.
And the benefits don’t stop there. A well-renovated pasture keeps returning for 5–6 years, making it one of the most reliable investments on farm. Compare that to supplementary feed - often 40–50c/kg DM - while renovated pasture sits closer to 10–12c/kg DM. That gap is real margin.
Rotation length: striking the balance
Getting regrassing rotation length right is where money is won or lost.
- Too long: Pastures over 6 years old become passengers, dragging down production and lifting cost per kg DM.
- Too short: Too many paddocks out at once, creating feed deficits that have to be plugged with expensive supplements.
The sweet spot is different for every system, but the principle stays the same: keep enough young grass in play to drive the system without blowing the budget.
Undersowing: a practical middle ground
If you’ve got more tired paddocks than your cashflow can cover in one season, undersowing is a smart tool. It lifts yield and quality while keeping paddocks in rotation. Even a modest lift in DM/ha helps reduce reliance on bought-in feed.
Clover: free N and better feed
Clover is both free fertiliser and a quality boost. Every tonne of clover DM fixes 25kg N/ha. A sward at 30% clover delivers around 5t DM/ha of clover = 125kg N/ha. That’s a $220/ha saving on synthetic nitrogen. Add in clover’s consistently higher feed quality and you’re compounding returns through more milk and more meat from the same paddock.
Yet most farms sit under 10% clover - many closer to 5%. Hitting higher levels requires the right species for the right soils, correct sowing rates, and good management.
The economics stack up
- More DM/ha → lower c/kg DM → higher return per hectare.
- Better feed quality → more energy intake, faster rumen clearance, higher animal performance.
- Clover → free nitrogen, stronger feed quality, reduced reliance on synthetics.
Renovation isn’t just a cost - it’s an investment that pays back quickly and keeps paying for years.
Key Points
- Regrassing can lift yields from 12t → 18t DM/ha, delivering ~$3,675/ha ROI in year one.
- Correct rotation length is crucial: too long = poor performance, too short = supplement costs.
- Undersowing offers a cost-effective way to lift underperforming paddocks without taking them fully out of play.
- Clover at 30% content delivers ~125kg N/ha annually and improves feed quality.
- Most farms sit under 10% clover - higher levels require the right species, soils, and sowing rates.
- Pasture-first systems deliver the lowest cents/kg DM and protect margins long term.
Bottom line
Pasture is your lowest-cost, highest-return feed source. While returns are good it’s a great opportunity to rejuvenate pastures.
Now’s the time to step back, run the numbers, and make sure every paddock is pulling its weight.