Drought Relief May Now Be Applied For

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31981, 7 May 1969, Page 1

Drought Relief May Now Be Applied For

Farmers between the Conway and Rakaia rivers may now apply for drought relief.

Forms are available from offices of the Department of Agriculture in Christchurch, Rangiora, Darfield, Akaroa, and Cheviot, from branch chairmen of Federated Farmers, and from stock and cartage firms. After meetings of the Central Canterbury and North Canterbury drought relief committees yesterday the chairmen (Messrs R. G. Jolly and R. A. Milne) said that refunds on freight for cartage of hay or grain or stock would be made only if commercial transport operators were employed. Receipted invoices must acompany the application forms. Refunds on freight for hay or grain would be made only on purchases in excess of those normally made, except where a farmer had to go further afield than usual to make his normal purchases, when refunds would also apply on the additional mile; age. ■ The forms of relief available are:— Refunds of freight costs from point of purchase to farm gate up to $lO a ton on hay and grain which has had to be obtained because of the drought. The subsidy is payable only on freight charges by

commercial operators and applies to hay or grain carried by rail, water, of by road If rail transport is not reasonably available and transport licensing authorities have approved carriage by road. Refunds of freight charges for livestock removed from the drought area because of the emergency, for grazing elsewhere, the concession applying to the homeward journey for a maximum of 100 miles. Government guarantees for bank overdrafts to farmers whose rehabilitation after the drought cannot be financed from their own resources or from normal sources of credit and customary Marginal Lands Board assistance. Tax relief on the forced sale of capital stock or nonreplacement of capital stock. Messrs Jolly and Milne said that anyone in doubt about the relief available should get in touch with them or the secretaries of their committees— Mr A. V. Kiely at the Department of Agriculture in Christchurch and Mr B. H. Sigley at the Department of Agriculture in Rangiora—or branch chairmen of FederlatedFarmers.