More lamb losses if cold lasts

Press, 30 August 1977, Page 1

More lamb losses if cold lasts

Spring lambs might be hard hit if yesterday’s snow and cold weather continue, according to farmers in inland Canterbury. But the Weather Office says that conditions should mprove today, although south-west winds will be strong at times. A farm advisory officer for the Minister of Agriculture said it was the first bad cold snap since lambing began on the plains. So far it had not affected significant numbers of lambs. Although snow fell down to 600 metres yesterday, high-country farmers would not be affected as lambing there had not begun yet.

About 100 mm of snow lay on Porter’s Pass, and about 30mm on the Lewis Pass, but it was soon cleared and traffic flowed normally by noon. Snow fell on much of lowland Canterbury, but did not lie for long in most areas.

At Mount Hutt ski-field bettveen 30cm and 60cm of snow caused the abandon-

ment of the first dav of this week's international racing. Hail and snow covered the ground at Methven yesterday, and a few stock losses resulted. The skifield at Erewhon Park was closed after snow down to about 1000 metres. Snow fell at Ashburtcn but did not lie. The over night rainfall reading was 22 millimetres. No stock losses were reported. In Wairarapa. hundreds more young lambs are expected to die as temperatures plummet after a week of drenching rain, the Press Association reports. Yesterday morning about 6000 lamb carcases were taken to a slink skin factory at Feilding. Hundreds more are believed to have been swept away by flooded rivers and streams.

A spokesman for N.A.C. said last evening that the backlog of passengers at Christchurch had been cleared.

Wellington Airport flights were uninterrupted yesterday for the first time in five days, allowing N.A.C. to clear most of its passenger backlog there.