Rain, rain staying away

Northland farmers are being told not to expect any significant rainfall until late this month.

The National Institute of Air and Water (NIWA) can’t offer much more than a glimmer of hope that the drought will break before then, farmers heard at a recent Northland Monitor Farm field day.

Meat and Wool NZ monitor farm programme facilitator Bob Thomson said most of Northland is close to the lowest levels of recorded rainfall, with this summer’s drought following the pattern of other record-breaking dry years, such as 1946 and 1983.

He advised farmers not to bank on much rain before the end of April.
“You need to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst,” he said.

In answer to a call from one Rodney farmer attending the field day that the drought area boundary be extended further south, Mr Thomson said that while Northland had officially been declared a drought area this didn’t mean that its farmers were getting any financial assistance from the Government.

“What they have been doing is funding drought relief seminars, shed meetings and providing other support to farmers throughout the summer.”

Drought relief information packs were available to help farmers to both survive the dry and better prepare for the rain when it came, he said.
“Tell us if you want one of these, as they contain some useful stuff. We’ve done some number crunching as far as re-stocking once the drought breaks, for example.”

It was helpful in terms of “tax breaks and for accountancy purposes” to be declared a drought region as this could explain reasons for dispersal of stock to the IRD.
“From what I’ve seen of this area, you are now as badly affected as the rest of Northland.”

Info: Phone Bob Thomson on 09 4302410 or email bob.thomson@agfirst.co.nz

Image: Lower Northland M&WNZ monitor farm facilitator Bob Thomson addresses the field day.