Lifetime dream wiped out by drought

Press, 30 December 1988, Page 3

Lifetime dream wiped out by drought

By

Barry Clarke

Ten years ago John Cheeseman had a safe job as a stock and station agent in Blenheim. Today, like many other droughtaffected North Otago farmers, he is on the brink of financial ruin. His lifetime dream of a well run and commercially viable farm has all but disappeared, wiped out by the drought which has left his 214 acres virtually barren. His diminishing flock of sheep graze on a paltry 30 acres of irrigated land, and the amount of water he is allowed to draw from a quickly drying river nearby has just been halved by the local water authority. , For the last five years he has worked at the freezing works in Oamaru to make

ends meet. His wife, Daphne, would have taken a part-time job if one of their young children had not recently suffered a broken leg. The Cheesemans are in trouble. They need rain and plenty of it. “Its hopeless. In the last five years we have had droughts and two floods,” said Mr Cheeseman. “The last drought broke a few days before Labour Day. I was hoping this one would do the same.” Apart from the 30 acres, Mr Cheeseman has no natural feed for his livestock. It will not last forever and if there is no substantial rain before autumn there will be nothing for his sheep or few cattle to eat in the winter. “The money I am earning at the works is "I v

helping us live, and paying for sheep nuts. I have some barley in but it’s pretty poor. “I would put more in if we could get some decent rain. If we could just get about three or four more inches . . . we’re just not getting enough. L , “I am determined to stay but if we don t get any rain by autumn, who knows.” Mr Cheeseman estimates he has lost $20,000 in crop income and another $lO,OOO in lambs through the drought. Coupled with the fact his farm is now worth less because of Government valuation, the light at the end of the tunnel is a long way off. The biggest hurt is the state of his flock. “I have spent 10 years trying to get a good mob of sheep. We had about 700 ewes. I have put a lot down a hole. It’s a matter of knowing how long you can feed them before they start to lie down and die.”