High Country Farmers Seek Disaster Relief

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31539, 29 November 1967, Page 28

High Country Farmers Seek Disaster Relief

(New Zealand Press Association) ASHBURTON, November 28. Farmers in the Mackenzie Country and the Rangitata and Ashburton high country have asked for the district to be declared a disaster area.

The request is the outcome of a meeting of more than 100 runholders and farmers at Fairlie last night, when a committee was formed to seek Government relief for the heavy stock losses and damage caused by the severe storm more than a week ago. Th« meeting was presided over by the Department of Agriculture farm advisory officer for Fairlie (Mr D. G. Reynolds), who listed the following avenues of possible assistance:— A Government grant to cover the cost of bringing in assistance to cope with the effects of the storm—machines, manpower, feed and communication: Marginal Lands Board loans assistance; remission of rents for Crown tenants; remission of county general rates; State-guaran-teed loans; provision for regressing subsidies: and subsidies on cartage of hay. The district representative on the Wheat Committee (Mr L. Norton, of Cricklewood) outlined forms of assistance opep to wheat growers, referring particularly to the wheat growers’ levy, part of which covered damage by hail, frost and flood. The wheat crops were damaged by frost on the Tuesday morning after the snowstorm, Mr Norton said. As yet he had not been able to make any accurate assessment, but there were crops which were very near to being a complete loss. At January 1,1966. the levy

fund totalled $401,182. Also available was $397,918 in invested moneys. Mr Norton explained that he and Mr Reynolds would inspect the crops to make an assessment of yield. If a crop normally yielded 60 bushels to the acre and threshed only 30 bushels, the grower would be paid on the balance of two-thirds of the crop—4o bushels. Mr Reynolds suggested that

farmers should check their crops as soon as possible. The following were elected to the committee: Messrs A. T. Murray, N. R. King (Federated Farmers), J. 1. Innes (South Island High Country Committee), A. Urquhart and R. Chaffey (Ashburton Gorge), P. C. Carter and W. B. Trotter (Sherwood-Ashwick Flat) and Mr R. L. G. Talbot M.P. for Ashburton.