Drought conditions affect more regions

Len Brown with Keith Smith at Clevedon. Photo / Herald on Sunday

The big dry is spreading, with the Bay of Plenty likely to be declared a drought zone next week.

The region has had 40 per cent less rain than average since October, causing a 25 per cent drop in dairy farm production in the Bay and neighbouring Waikato.

Parts of Western Bay, including areas around Te Puke, Paengaroa, Pukehina and Otamarakau are badly affected.

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Max Mason told the Bay of Plenty Times that drought declaration would have a negative impact on morale.

The drought is causing grief for farmers nationwide.

Manukau mayor Len Brown yesterday visited drought-affected dairy farmers in Clevedon, eastern Manukau.

One farmer he spoke to said the costs of coping with the drought, including extra feed and moving stock, had hit $1000 a day.

"His family have been on the farm for the best part of 120-odd years and they've never seen a drought like it," said Brown.

Manukau City Council would consider whether local support was needed on top of the Government's assistance package, Brown said.

"This is our backyard and our bread basket and we have to look after it."

Northland farmers are entering their eighth month of drought conditions. Federated Farmers Northland president Dennis Anderson said the drought was the worst he had experienced in 40 years of farming the land west of Whangarei.

Farmers were having to dig into winter supplies to feed stock.

In the South Island, David Rose of Federated Farmers said a meeting tomorrow would decide whether to declare parts of Central Otago a drought zone.