VERY BAD SEASON IN SOUTHLAND

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30348, 25 January 1964, Page 7

VERY BAD SEASON IN SOUTHLAND

The last six months In Southland have been the worst experienced by southern farmers for more years than they care to remember. Unseasonable conditions and lack of growth have cost the province many thousands of pounds in lighter wool clips, smaller lamb numbers and decreased grain and seed crops, according to a report from Southland this week, which was specially prepared for “The Press.”

Even more serious is the Strong likehood of a shortage of winter feed. Turnip crops are making slow growth and, unless the weather takes a drastic turn for the better—and quickly, too—the amount of hay to go into barns completely emptied by the previous hard winter could well be less than half the amount required. Indeed, the only bright spots on the farming horizon at present are the increased returns from both meat and wool. In this regard, it is unfortunate that a combina-

tion of weather ' conditions which may not be experienced again in 20 years have placed southern farmers in a position where they are unable to take full advantage of the better prices.

The lambing percentage in Southland, although still the highest for any district in New Zealand, is down slightly on the previous year. The wonder is that it is so high. Snow, and a shortage of spring feed after a lack of sftitumn growth resulted in heavy ewe losses, particularly on the higher country where many farmers lost up to ten per cent of their flocks. Losses But for these losses there is little doubt that the lambing percentage would have been among the highest because multiple births greatly increased on the low country properties. The average weight of lambs now going through Southland freezing works is only slightly lower than last season but it is unlikely that the startling increases in the total annual kilts over thepast few seasons wil Ibe maintained this year. Lighter fleeces as a result of unfavourable weather too, are almost cer tain to prevent Southland farmers recording another big increase in wool production this season'. According to wool brokers, fleece weights are down by an average of about half a pound and this is likely to cancel out the increased production from greater numbers of sheep. Although there is a vast amount of good quality wool still to be handled, there is no doubt that fleece weights are very light when compared with earlier years. The average drop of a half pound is a conservative estimate, with many individual farmer estimating the drop at up to two pounds per fleece. Many fleeces shorn up to the end of last year greatly resembled pre-lamb shorn woo land the grease has not moved up the fibres, this again tending to make the clip lighter. As a result of the lighter weights, it is unlikely that the total alocation of 185,000 bales for the five main sales of the season at Invercargill wil be filled. Last year just on 180,000 bales were disposed of and brokers are not expecting this total to be exceeded. The amount of wool offering at Invercargill has risen by up to 10,000 bales annually during the last few years.

The unseasonable weather completely reversed the trend towards pre-lambing shearing m the province and, in the early stages, looked like playing havoc with the new woolselling roster which was designed to dispose of earlyseason wool. Not since 195758, when pre-lamb shearing started to come into vogue, had so little shearing been done at the end of October.

Not only did the bad weather prevent farmers from shearing but also deterred them, in view of the heavy losses sustained by many farmers who did so. Up to 500 head were lost from some Southland flocks. In many oases, farmers had sheep in the sheds ready for shearing and turned them out again rather than risk severe losses.

As a result ,the catalogue for the first main sale of the season in October was 4000 bales short and, until a late run in mid-November, the second sale appeared likely to be similarly affected. The 40,000 bales for this month’s sale were obtained, although the wool was noticeably short in the staple. Wheat and oat crops are now making satisfactory growth after a very poor start. In many areas farmers topdressed their Wheat stands with nitrogen in an endeavour to force them along. Late Harvest The harvest is certain to be two or three weeks later than normal an dsettled weather will be heeded if moisture difficulties in handling the wheat are to be avoided.

The amount of hay baled in the province to date is only a fraction of that which is normally made at this stage and, even mere serious, the standing crops have lost much of their quality because of the bad weather holding up harvesting operations. A large amount of hay cut in late December was still lying on the ground in midJanuary. Turnip crops, too, are generally fairly slow and there has been considerable springtail damage in crops. Hay baling contractors describe the position as “shocking” and estimate that the Southland crop will be no more than half the normal one. Their forecasts are borne out by the experience of an Invercargill mercantile firm which supplies a large amount of binder twine for baling. In December, 1962, the firm sold 105 bales of twine—in the corresponding month last year its sales totalled only 20 bales. On the Lands Department’s Lynwood block, where the largest individual hay-baling contract in Southland is carried out, between 150,000 and 170,000 bales were budgeted for this year. It appears unlikely at this stage, however, that the total made will be more than 80,000 to 100,000 bates and the amount of stock to be carried over the winter will have to be reduced. Southland’s pastures and swede crops could, of course, still make sufficient growth to carry stock safely through the winter. But an improved and prolonged spell of good weather wil most certainly be required from now on.