North Canterbury’s dought-affected farmers get more support

Hawarden sheep and beef farmer Dan Hodgen's farm in March this year.

By Sally Murphy of RNZ

North Canterbury farmers battling ongoing dry conditions have welcomed more support from the Government.

Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson visited Hurunui on Wednesday morning, where he announced $20,000 for the Farmers Adverse Events Trust.

New Zealand Veterinary Association and animal health company Boehringer Ingelheim will also contribute an additional $18,000 to deliver specialist veterinary support to drought-affected farmers in the Hurunui District.

Patterson said prolonged dry weather and challenging financial conditions have made circumstances extremely tough for farmers in the region.

“Many farmers have been using good management practices, such as reducing livestock numbers, to get through the drought.

“As lambing and calving get under way, extra one-off support is needed.”

The latest support measures come on top of funding provided to the region earlier this year.

Hawarden sheep and beef farmer Dan Hodgen, who is also head of the Hurunui adverse events committee, is not one to be negative but said things were getting bloody tough.

“Feed is very short, conditions are still really dry even at the end of winter covers are still well below where we’d want them, so it’s wearing thin on morale and people are starting to get a bit over it.”

He said the committee invited the minister to Hurunui to have a look.

“We had some really good conversations, it was good to point out that it’s still a tough situation and we need to be thinking ahead rather than chasing our tails and playing catchup.

“We need plenty of rain through spring to set us up because rivers and the water table are running low if only the minister could sort out some rain.”

Hodgen said the region got a bit of rain at the start of August with some farmers reporting 40-50 millimetres but it varied and some farms got as low as 5mm.

“Farmers are now in the thick of lambing with sub-par feed, the ewes are so used to us feeding out [that] as soon as you drive into the paddock they run up to the vehicle and leave their lambs, so feeding out is difficult.”

He said farmers need to check on their mates and keep conversations flowing.

“We’ve got an event on September 6th at Foxdown Farm, Ben Hurley’s going to come to make us all laugh, we’ll have some lemonades and a sandwich, it’s good to get off the farm.”

- RNZ