SERIOUS DRY SPELL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19209, 24 December 1925, Page 12

SERIOUS DRY SPELL.

POVERTY* BAY SUFFERS. STOCK CANNOT BE FATTENED. MEAT WORKS THREATENED. [JRX TELECXUra. —OWN COB.E.ESPONDENT.] GISBORNE. Wodaesdaj With a continuation of tho present weather conditiona the prospects before the freezing industry for this season are regarded as distinctly unfavourable. For the past two months practically no rain has fallen, and the pastures have suffered severely, with the result that the bulk of the stock is not in killing condition. It is stated that even with immediate rain the position would not be greatly improved for some time to come, and that nothing short of a miracle can improve the outlook. The Gisborno Freezing Works, it is pointed out, opened later this season than usual, but notwithstanding this fact they have not been able to receive sufficient stock to keep them operating at anything like full pressure. Killing at the present time is practically restricted to milk lambs and a few cattle, and it is thought that once the milk lambs are finished there will be little other stock to carry on with. The cattle are regarded as an almost negligible quantity, the supply at any time being small, and thi3 season it is further reduced by the lax-ge numbers shipped to outside markets.

So far as lambs are concerned it is stated that few will be available once the milk lambs are cut out, and that the works will then have to wait for the big sheep, which are not likely to be ready within two or three months.

There is a shortage of feed throughout the district and the stock are showing the effects of it. Fortunately water is fairly plentiful, but without the growth of pasture there is little hope of the stock reaching killing condition. A prominent stock agent stated this morning that it appeared certain that an abnormally small number of sheep would be killed daring the season, and he expressed the opinion that under the existing conditions it would be difficult to find sufficient stock to keep the works going for another two months. Poverty Bay is more fortunate than Hawke's Bay, in that although it is impossible to fatten the stock, the feed is sufficient to keep them going until conditions improve.