Farm loses 2000 sheep

Press, 31 January 1984, Page 3

Farm loses 2000 sheep

PA Invercargill An estimated loss of 2000 ewes and lambs on the Invercargill youth institution farm, near the city’s airport, is the worst individual case of stock loss reported after the Southland floods.

However, the supervisory livestock officer with the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Gordon Hurdle, said yesterday it was likely that other areas would also have suffered substantial losses.

In the Aparima basin area, in western Southland, farmers could have lost an average of 150 sheep each, Mr Hurdle said.

Royal New Zealand Air Force Iroquois helicopters had dropped 20 bales of hay to stranded stock at West Plains, he said.

The senior farm advisory officer with the Ministry in Invercargill, Mr Tim Broad, said that about 300 sheep had been drowned on one property north of Grove Bush, and other farmers had reported losses of between 100 to 150 sheep. A large number of reports had been received of 20 to 25 sheep having been lost in the floods. The worst-hit area was that bordering the Aparima River, and after this the Waihopai River area, he said. Crop losses are expected to be minimal, according to Mr Broad. “We are a bit lucky ... there weren’t too many crops in the path of the waters,” he said. Farmers now face a big task in repairing damaged fences. Mr Broad said that the main area of the province that had been affected lay to the south and west of the Hokonui hills. Southland farmers are being encouraged to support the national appeal in aid of families who have suffered personal loss as a result of the disaster.

After a special meeting of leaders of Federated Farmers (Southland) and the Ministry of Agriculture staff in Invercargill yesterday, the provincial president, Mr Lionel Patterson, said it had been agreed that the federation would not organise any special appeal for farmers.

Mr Patterson said that it had been also agreed that the federation would coordinate assistance for farmers whose stock and properties had been affected by floodwaters. The problem of disposing of dead stock carried downstream on to other farmers’ properties was the responsibility of local authority hydatid control officers, Mr Patterson said. “Farmers who have suf-> fered any significant losses are able to apply individually to the Rural Bank for assistance under the bank’s adverse climatic relief loan scheme,” he said.

The chairman of the provincial dairy section, Mr Jim Flett, said that offers of help had been received from many farmers on the Taieri, who had been helped by Southland farmers during 1980 floods there.