Dry conditions a concern in South Island   20 Jan 2015

Hon Nathan Guy

Minister for Primary Industries

20 January 2015 Media Statement

Dry conditions a concern in South Island

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has met with local farmers near Ashburton today and says that dry conditions are a concern.

“The dry summer may have been good news for holidaymakers but farmers are starting to feel the pinch in South and Mid-Canterbury, North Otago, and Wairarapa.

“Restrictions are in place for some irrigators as water levels drop, and the short term outlook is not showing much rain on the horizon.

“Most farmers I talked to today are managing by de-stocking and using feed supplies, but are hopeful of rain before too long to set them up for winter.

“The Ministry for Primary Industries keeps a close eye on the amount of rainfall, soil moisture levels and river levels and also gets good information from people on the ground.

“At this stage the Government is not planning to classify this event as a medium-scale adverse event, but we will continue to keep a close watch. District or regional groups need to make a formal request for any such a declaration and at this stage this hasn’t been deemed necessary.

“This threshold would be reached when the lack of rainfall has an economic, environmental and social impact on farming businesses and the wider community.

“It’s important to note that support is already available from Government agencies in all regions. Farmers should contact IRD if they need help or flexibility with making tax payments, and standard hardship assistance is available from Work and Income.

“I would urge farmers to make use of the good advice and support available from their local Rural Support Trusts. They are doing a great job of coordinating farming communities and providing information.

“Unfortunately droughts are nothing new for farmers. Two summers ago we suffered through the worst drought in 70 years, and last year we had severe dry spells in parts of Northland and Waikato.

“It is a tough situation for many with this coming on top of a lower dairy payout. However, I know that farmers are resilient and have come through many challenges like snowstorms, earthquakes and commodity price fluctuations before.”

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