Rangiora feels drought

Press, 20 September 1982, Page 10

Rangiora feels drought

The continued drought is starting to affect Rangiora township as well as farmers in the district. The mood of many retailers in the town is one of caution. September is considered to be a slow time commercially, and some retailers are unsure just how much the drought may affect the commercial activity.

As Rangiora was a town reliant on the rural community, the problems affecting farmers must also affect the town, one retailer said. The chairman of the Rangiora Businessmens Association. Mr David Lorgelly, said there was a concern about the effects if the drought lasted much longer. The manager of C. J. Smith's. Mr Don Smith, said he was “nervous” about the drought on top of the economic situation. His store had not yet noticed any effects of the drought, however. The joint manager of Farmers Rangiora, Mr A. Still, said there must be an effect in a town such as Rangiora. Although the store had only been open a short time under its new management, Mr Still said he was “delighted” with the response, and was “always confident.”

A Rangiora banker said the drought had not helped at a time when banks’ liquidity was tight.

The manager of Farmer’s Rural Services. Rangiora. Mr W. Jackson, said that to a stock and station agent, the drought signs were obvious.

A lot of farmers were in “dire straits” because of the low rainfall. There were lower lambing percentages and lower wool weights, which would mean livestock farmers would have very little spending money, he said. In some cases, a farmer’s

disposable income was virtually nil. Mr Jackson said the effects could become evident when the freezing works opened. Fewer lambs being killed would mean less wages, he said. His company was busy assisting farmers who had applied for loans. Mr Jackson said it would take two years of reasonable rainfall, ’reasonable prices for primary produce, and good crop ’ yields for the situation to return to normal.