DOMINION-WIDE DROUGHT

Grey River Argus, 15 January 1944, Page 2

DOMINION-WIDE DROUGHT

SHEEP AND LAMBS Very Badly Effected BIG SHORTAGE IN EXPORTS FORECASTED P.A. WELLINGTON, Jan 14. Reports on the conditions affecting stock throughout the Dominion have been received from the supervising meat graders by the New Zealand meat producers’ board. These show that the objective of killing heavier weight lambs this season will be difficult to achieve as the feed position i s unsatisfactory in most parts of the country. Details of reports for the weeK ended January 8 were as follows:— Auckland district: Weather conditions are becoming very serious, but have not yet reached a desperate stage. Pastures have dried up and rain is badly needed. The holding of lambs for extra weight has been a failure in this district. West Coast and Taranaki: A ary spell continues on this coast, and the position is now rather serious. Littie or no rain has fallen for weeks, and drying winds have been almost continuous over the past fortnight or so. It is the driest summer Taranaki has experienced for years. It is reported areas as far north as Taumarunui are also very dry. Generally, feed is fairly plentiful, but it is dry feed, and,, therefore, not good for lamb fattening. Poverty Bay and Hawke’s Bay Again there has been a week of very hot* weather, worse than anything experienced so far this summer, and even the nights are hot. This is go- 1 ing to stop all growth of feed, and very soon burn up what feed there is, in fact, Hawke’s Bay is looking burnt up already. Wairoa and poverty Bay are not so burnt up as Hawke’s Bay, but it is dry in both these districts. Lambs are going off already, more so in Poverty Bay, and Wairoa districts.

Manawatu and Wairarapa: Tne weather continues hot and dry; pasture is drying off, and lambs are showing the result of the long dry spell. Canterbury: The weather conditions in Mid and North Canterbury are still very hot and dry. Feed for stock is scarce and is rapidly drying up. This is noticeable from some lines of lambs that have come forward for killing, and also in fat lamb pens at Addington sale, where a large number of forward stores were offfered.

Otago and Southland: Weather conditions over the holidays were fairly changeable, and though rain fell on several occasions, there was not enough to do much good, as very hot days followed. A good fall or rain is badly wanted, especially in the hill country as it is beginning to look very dry. The report adds that as feed us going off in the hill country, farmers are killing off lines of lambs that are definitely not ready. In the first report of export killing at the New Zealand Freezing Works this season issued bv the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, it wa<? stated that the handicap of climatic conditions is evident). Official figures cover the period from the opening of the works till January first, and show that this season’s export lamb production, compared with the corresponding period Inst senson, declmed to the extent of 760,906 carcases. Details of the lamb and mutton killings, (with those of the previous season in parentheses), are as follows' —North Island; lamb carcases. 1056467 (1633973); wether mutton carcases: 17094 (37172); ewe mutton carcases 15820 (73262);. South Island lambs: 112941 (293641); wether mutton 49,000 (17,000); ewe mutton 49,300 (56,300). Total lamos 1,169,408 (1930314); wether mutton 17243 (37189); ewe mutton 16313 (73826).