Dunsandel declared drought area

Press, 8 October 1988, Page 3

Dunsandel declared drought area

Dunsandel Federated Farmers have declared their district a drought area. The branch has called on the North Canterbury provincial executive of the federation for help. The declaration was endorsed by the arable section, which met yesterday, the first step needed to receive Government help. The president of North Canterbury Federated Farmers, Mr Ness Wright, said a case for Government assistance had to be prepared and pledged the help of the provincial executive. He said they would have to show that the drought had a statistical chance of occuring once in 20 years or more. Rainfall records in the area for the last eight months were the driest on record, he said. The four federation presidents from North Otago to North Canterbury had met recently to draft a drought relief package. If approved by the Dominion executive next week, the package would be discussed with Government officials. Mr Wright said it was probably the first time that four presidents had

taken a joint approach to such an issue. The chairman of the arable section, Mr Jim Wilson, said the drought was approaching a disaster for stock on farms with no irrigation. Although arable crops suffering from drought did not provoke the same alarm as starving animals, the pain to farmers was the same, he said. Some farmers who had irrigation equipment were not using it because it cost too much to run. The viability of many farmers who installed irrigation systems had been placed under jeopardy since 1984 because the Government had changed the criteria under which they were working. The Government had begun to change its mind on a number of issues, said Mr Wright. “Perhaps it is time that we put the virtues of irrigation back in front of politicians and the public. Some may be beginning to realise that one of civilised man’s oldest struggles — ensuring water for himself, his animals and crops — is still worth pursuing and with reasonable exchange rates and interest rates, would be affordable,” he said.