DROUGHT FAIRLY GENERAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22791, 15 January 1944, Page 4

DROUGHT FAIRLY GENERAL

Serious Effect On Pastures

Problem Of Lamb Fattening

(N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON. Jan. 14.

Reports on 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 is unsatisfactory in most parts of the country. Details of the reports for the week ended January 8 are as follows: — Auckland District—The position is becoming very serious, but it has 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—The dry spell has continued on this coast and the position is now rather serious. Little or no rain has fallen for weeks, and drying winds have been almost continuous over the last fortnight or so. It is the driest summer Taranaki has experienced for years. It is reported that areas as far north as Taumarunui are also very dry. Generally feed is fairly plentiful, hut it is dry ■feed, and therefore is 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 going 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 uo as Hawke's Bay, but it is dry in both those districts. Lambs arc going off already and more so in the Poverty Bay and Wairoa districts.

Manawatu and Wairarapa—The weather has continued hot and dry and pasture is drying off and lambs are showing the result of the long dry spell. Canterbury—The weather in Mid and North Canterbury is still very hot and dry. Feed for stock is scarce and is rapidly drying up. This is noticeable from some of the lines of lambs that have come forward for killing, and also in the fat lamb pens at the Addington sale where a large number of forward stores were offered. Otago and Southland—The weather over the holidays has been fairly changeable, and, though rain fell on several occasions, there was not enough to do much good as tery hot days followed. A good fall of rain is badly- wanted, especially in the hill country, as it is beginning to look very dry. The report adds that as the feed is going off in the hill country, the farmers are killing off lines of lambs that are definitely not ready. Heavy Decline In Export Lambs (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 14. In the first report of export killing at New Zealand freezing works this season, issued by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, it was stated that the handicap of the climatic conditions is evident. Official figures cover the period from the opening of the works till January 1, and show that this season’s export lamb production, compared with the corresponding period last season, declined to- the extent of 760,906 carcases. Details:— Lamb and mutton killings, with those of the previous season in parentheses are as follows:

North Island Lamb 1,056,467 (1,633,973) Wether mutton . 17,094 (37,172) Ewe mutton .. 15,820 (73,262) South Island Lamb 112,941 (296,341) Wether mutton . 49 (17) Ewe mutton .. 493 (563) Totals Lamb 1,169,408 (1,930,314) Wether mutton . 17,243 (37,189) Ewe mutton .. 16,313 (73,826)