NORTHLAND DROUGHT Govt. Aid Sought For Stricken Areas

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30339, 15 January 1964, Page 12

NORTHLAND DROUGHT Govt. Aid Sought For Stricken Areas

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, January 14. Drought relief measures in Northland are expected to be a priority topic for discussion when the Cabinet holds its first meeting of the year next Tuesday.

With five counties affected to a greater or lesser degree by drought, the Cabinet will be considering applications for assistance over a very wide area. The counties affected are Mangonui, Bay of Islands, Whangaroa, Hokianga, and Whangarei. As a prelude to the Cabinet meeting, recently-formed drought relief committees have been conducting district surveys to see just where relief is needed and what form of assistance is required. Hay is in very short supply on many farms and some farmers have tried to maintain dairy production at the expense of grazing paddocks which were shut for hay. Mr M. E. Martin, manager of the Bay of Islands dairy factory, said today that some farmers in his area were now seriously considering reducing their herds and sending boner cows to the works. The plight of farmers in Northland has aroused immediate sympathy on the

Hauraki Plains, where farmers have often been the victim of feed shortages caused by floods. Mr G. Halliwell, farm advisory officer of the Department of Agriculture at Kaitaia, said today that offers of hay had come from Hauraki Plains farmers, who were grateful for assistance given them in times of stress. Some of this hay was being offered as a gift and some of it was being offered at very low rates, said Mr Halliwell. The Kaitaia Dairy Company has begun to cart hay bought in the Dargaville district to its suppliers in Mangonui county. So far 500 bales have been brought north by road. A mid-Northland drought relief committee met at Kaikohe on Monday and decided to ask the Cabinet to declare the Bay of Islands, Hokianga, and Whangaroa counties a disaster area.