HEAVY LOSSES AT MOHAKA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20053, 27 September 1939, Page 8

HEAVY LOSSES AT MOHAKA

STOCK ON MAORI FARMS EFFECT ()F snow LACK. OF FEED (Sj.iH'inl to 1 In: llrralil.) WAIROA, this day. It is considered by some Maori farmers in the Mohaka district that the season there is one of the worst thev have experienced for many years, there having been some heavy slock losses. The chiel difficulty, according to inquiries made to-day, appears to have been a lack of feed, the more serious losses being among dairy cattle. Fortunately. the younger cattle have not bcc-n afl'ected to the same extent as the older animals. Other stock also has suffered, but it is not anticipated that lambing will be anything out of the ordinary.

At the beginning of the winter it

was anticipated that the Maori farmers in the district might have a fairly good season as there appeared to be a reasonable supply of feed. However, a series of cold snaps and heavy fall? of snow lying on the ground for over a week rather upset

calculations, with the result that most ;f the feed was soon eaten out. In consequence of a dry summer the hay crops were very light, which meant, of course, that very little in the way of reserve feed was available. What there was of it was soon used up. The recent rain has had a wonderful effect on the district generally and reports from Mohaka to-day indicated that the pastures are coming away well again, areas which a week or so ago did not show a vestige of grass showing ample evidence of the value of the rain.