Weather conditions will add to farmers’ stress

Press, 13 April 1988, Page 4

Weather conditions will add to farmers’ stress

*’ F I ' I i j ' i • ! ' '' : i ji' ; I j |’ ' ' ' : [ ' it 11 ■ll • '' Weather conditions, New Zealand wide, would add t 6 the stress farmers were already suffering economically, the chairman of the Banks Peninsula branch of Federated Farmers, Mr Rod Craw said yesterday. : . :(. .:( j|

He said, that the economic situation was not “bright” and | drought conditions on the Peninsula areas such as North Canterbury would place great (difficulties on farmers. The! predicted 10 per cent of fanners (who would have to J'walk off the land” jWould be increased by the ■ weather conditions. j ‘ ; “From :the farming point of view, :a(nd in any other job, you- must have a goal. It is Ivery difficult to find, one.' There is nowhere to increase production.; Wei are working for nothing”! said Mr Craw, j | B

evqn hit hard. In his district Mr Craw said it cost $42.50 to register a dog i and he said people could i not afford to carry :an older dog which “tragically” would have to be shot. ; H ..J.. ; No-one was diversifying as many had been “bitten,” and many could not afford to try and make ends meet. It needed another generation of farmers, but unfortunately they were unable to afford to buy farms. i Mr Craw said that the south-west storm at the--week-end had helped, but a lot more tain was

The mental attitude of. I farmers was becoming ; a large problem. "Farmers do not forget and it I will be a long time 1 before' they take any risks,” (said Mr Craw. Farmers were I sitting. They were doing I nothing and in many cases even ;; maintenance was slipping. “they are not spending anything, they do npt i| have to,” he said. Mr Craw said that while some Peninsula farmers had considered shifting their stock out I of j the district for grazing they considered the cost prohibitive. Dog registration had I

■ ' I ■I ! ! : I 1 ' : ■ ’ ■ needed: to promote pasture growth. Ewes were i looking good at presenty, but maintaining their weight was going to be extremely difficult, which in turn could affect lambing percentages, i Pasture growth was very short and too much rain at once would cool the soil too quickly to be of any use. Cooler temperatures would also afj feet this growth. ' The Amberley and Cheviot areas were suffering severe feed problems • and many farmers had already begun |to feed supplements to stock.

The chairman of the Amberley : branch of Federated; Farmers, Mr Andrew Bowker, said that although | the rain had been welcome more was needed in. the next 10 days. A heavy dowppour w6uld not be effective because of run-off which would take away top dressing, j Farmers were still waiting to get' lambs into the freezing jworks and it would be I next week before there was extreme pressure on farmers. One farmer in the Loburn area had sent stock away for grazing.