OTAGO IN NEED OF RAIN

Southland Times, Issue 23444, 26 February 1938, Page 8

OTAGO IN NEED OF RAIN

Threat Of Serious Drought SHORTAGE OF FEED FOR STOCK SHEEP BEING SENT FROM SOME DISTRICTS (Special' to The Times) DUNEDIN, February 25. With a continuation of the long spell of dry weather and with the temperature daily soaring in Central Otago up to about 100 degrees, a drought of serious proportions is threatening most Otago districts. Sheep farmers are those most affected as there is no feed for stock and they are also threatened with a shortage of winter feed because of the failure of turnip and other feed crops. At recent sales prices were much below those ruling at this time last year and stock is being railed out of the worst areas. In areas where irrigation has been carried out the position is not so acute as sheep are obtaining good feed on irrigated pastures, but that area is extremely limited. In the Miller’s Flat and Heriot districts, the hillsides are barren. It is reported, that one farmer near Heriot has sent out 24 trucks of sheep to other districts, and as much as 8d a head a week has been paid for grass feed. At the last Dumbarton sale, about a fortnight ago, lambs, sold at the same time last year at 22/- a head, were disposed of at 12/6, and there were sales of lambs at as low a price as 2/6. About a week ago in the Roxburgh district there was a slight fall of rain but it was not sufficiently heavy to do any good. There has been no really substantial fall of rain this year and for sojne time before the beginning of the year the weather was dry. The risk of serious fires is also present and, although farm operations have been curtailed, most farmers fear io leave their homes unwatched. The result is that business in small centres is at a standstill throughout ■ the day and it is not until the comparative cool of the evening that many people are to be seen.

Already one serious fire has occurred, sweeping over an area of 1000 acres of a sheep run. Fortunately there was no loss of stock, but fences were destroyed. Domestic water supplies have, in many cases, long been exhausted and it is necessary to carry supplies to meet ordinary requirements. This state of affairs is not peculiar to Central Otago; it applies in a lesser degree to all of South Otago, with the exception of Inchclutha.

The Catlins district looks fairly green, but there is a definite shortage of feed even there. The downs country of the Clinton area is very brown in colour and apart from a little browntop it is devoid of feed. Turnip crops are holding fairly well, but they will go off rapidly unless there is a good fall of rain very soon. Already most of the crops have a slight touch of blight or aphis.