Don't mention the herd of elephants in the room
This
is exactly what I have been warning about for months now. Parts of
the country are already in the grip of drought from last summer and
we have yet to see the effects of an intensifying el-Nino.
I
predict the mother-of-all-droughts
This
is going to go well with a dairy industry that is in deep trouble -
NOT
"If
we get some decent moisture in the next couple of weeks to month,
there's a chance that we could still get a pretty good spring, but we
have to assume, given the last 12 months, that we're not going to get
that."
Too right!
This
is going to go well with a dairy industry that is in deep trouble -
NOT
"If
we get some decent moisture in the next couple of weeks to month,
there's a chance that we could still get a pretty good spring, but we
have to assume, given the last 12 months, that we're not going to get
that."
Too right!
Government extends drought support
Drought-affected
farmers in eastern parts of the South Island are getting extra
relief.
15
August, 2015
Primary
Industries Minister, Nathan Guy, says another $100,000 will be given
to the Rural Support Trust to help farmers still in the tight grip of
drought conditions in Canterbury, Marlborough and most of Otago.
Funding
was originally released by the declaration in February of a
medium-scale adverse event intended to run until about now
Mr
Guy said that had now been extended until next February.
"It
just gives farmers some comfort to know that these support measures
are available because this prolonged drought in North Canterbury and
other parts of the east coast of the South Island may hang around for
a bit longer."
Federated
Farmers meat and fibre chair in North Canterbury, Dan Hodgen, said he
has had just 200 mls of moisture so far this year, and some of that
had been snow.
He
said the grass in the region still had a grey tinge and farmers were
crossing their fingers the next few weeks may bring some rain.
Mr
Hodgen said stress levels were high, but everyone seemed to be coping
and focusing on what they can control.
"Most
of North Canterbury, we expect to have about 100 days where we get
minimal growth to no growth. Once we hit the 1st of May we had a fair
idea that we were in for shortages come stocking and lambing, but we
were hopeful to get decent moisture over winter to mean that when we
hit late August early September the grass would take off.
"But
we still haven't really got enough to ensure that's going to be the
case yet.
"We're
still scraping along a knife edge, if we get some decent moisture in
the next couple of weeks to month, there's a chance that we could
still get a pretty good spring, but we have to assume, given the last
12 months, that we're not going to get that."
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.