DROUGHT CONDITIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 April 1939, Page 4

DROUGHT CONDITIONS

POSITION IN THE WAIRARAPA SHEEP DOING REMARKABLY WELL. FOOD PROBLEM IN WINTER. In spite of the continued dry weather in the Wairarapa, sheep are said to be doing remarkably well under the conditions prevailing, although farmers are not able to do much in the way of fattening. Sheep are. however, maintaining their condition very well. What crops were put in earlier in the season have been eaten off or have dried up. It is not expected that the weather will seriously affect the wool clip unless it continues for another month. Cattle are not faring quite so well and where possible are being shifted to other districts. The lack of autumn growth no doubt will affect cattle more seriously during the winter. Silage and hay reserves have already been drawn upon heavily and farmers are adopting a careful rationing scheme so as to conserve supplies. An indication that the drought conditions are fairly general is provided by the fact that farmers in other districts have been making inquiries in the Wairarapa for grazing. though none, of course, is available here. The position once rain comes will ease up, as there are paddocks which have a certain amount of feed but are without water. These would give the cattle a fresh start.

Much concern is being felt in the South Wairarapa at the decided drop in dairy production, the inevitable result of the dry weather of the past three months. A real problem facing the dairy farmer is the almost inevitable scarcity of winter grazing, coupled with the fact that already winter supplies of hay, etc, -have been drawn upon heavily. A serious position has arisen in the South Wairarapa as far as holding paddocks are concerned, as these are now without a drop of water for travelling stock. It is understood that representations are to be made regarding this matter, with a view to seeing if the position cannot be remedied in some way.

The problem of feeding stock is becoming a serious one, as a 901 b bale of ■hay is consumed in a day by 60 sheep, the cost, without taking account of the labour involved in putting out the hay, being about Id per sheep per day. Cattle eat eight or ten times more, with a corresponding increase in the cost of feed per head, so that the additional financial burden placed on the farmer is quite apparent.