Alliance’s Nelson plant busy as farmers destock

Livestock from Nelson and Tasman are is being prioritised at Alliance Group’s Nelson meat plant as some farmers reduce their animal numbers amid a run of hot, dry weather.

Alliance Group livestock and shareholder services general manager Danny Hailes said the Stoke plant was busy as farmers looked to destock as a result of the dry conditions.

‘‘We are prioritising processing livestock from the region so we can meet the needs of local farmers,’’ he said.

‘‘As a co-operative, we need to be there for our farmers.’’

Alliance encouraged farmers to speak with their livestock representatives about their processing requirements, he said.

Hailes’ comments come after Tasman Dry Weather Task Force convener Dennis Bush-King on Wednesday advised stock owners to ‘‘think seriously about their options’’ such as destocking or buying in feed, as he announced further water restrictions for parts of the increasingly parched Tasman District, which are due to take effect on Monday.

Alliance told the Tasman District Council last July that it cut processing by 40 per cent at the Stoke plant during the severe drought last summer, resulting in a 40 per cent drop in wages that prompted three people to resign.

The meat plant was at peak capacity and on double shifts when the drought hit, but processing had to be cut to three days a week to achieve a 25 per cent cut in water use that applied to businesses on the council’s reticulated supply.

Livestock owners in increasingly dry areas of Tasman District are being urged to consider options such as destocking and acquiring extra feed.

Tasman Dry Weather Task Force convener Dennis BushKing said hot, dry conditions had been forecast for the next month at least, and he was advising owners ‘‘if they haven’t already, to think seriously about their options’’.

‘‘The current conditions are seeing a similar track down in our resources, albeit two to three weeks behind where we were at this time last year,’’ Bush-King said, referring to a severe drought in early 2019.

In the absence of any significant rainfall, and with none in the extended forecast, the task force has moved to stage three rationing for water permit holders not affiliated to the Waimea dam in the Delta, Reservoir,

Upper Catchments, Waimea West, Upper Confined and Golden Hills zones. This means a 50 per cent cut in their bona fide water take from Monday.

Affiliated permit holders in those zones will move to stage two, a 35 per cent cut.

Affiliated permit holders in the Lower Confined Aquifer and Hope and Eastern Hills zones are set to join their unaffiliated colleagues in facing stage one rationing from Monday – a 20 per cent cut in their water take.

There is a cease take for the Moutere Surface Zone, while the Moutere Eastern Groundwater and Motupiko zones are set to remain at stage one.

No restrictions apply as yet in the Golden Bay catchments.

People on the Eighty-Eight Valley and Dovedale supplies are from Monday set to join residents of Richmond, Hope, Brightwater, Wakefield and Redwood Valley in facing phase A restrictions.

Tougher phase B restrictions are to remain in place for users of the Ma¯ pua-Ruby Bay supply.