Farmer fears a repeat of worst drought in 40 years
Drought in North Canterbury is forcing farmers to buy extra feed, sell valuable stock and truck their animals to greener pastures. The amount of rain they need would be enough to flood Christchurch. Eve Hyslop reports.
As Richard Murchison stands on the sunburnt soil of his Weka Pass sheep, cattle and deer farm, he remembers the three-year drought that struck the region from 2014 to 2016, the worst he has experienced in his 40 years of farming. If rain doesn’t come soon, this period may be as bad.
“This is North Canterbury, so we expect the dry period, but we don’t expect a drought every year.”
On March 21, the Government declared a drought in Canterbury and Otago. North Canterbury farmers were thankful for recognition, but without proper rain since November, dried-up pastures have forced them to buy extra feed, sell valuable stock or truck their animals to greener pastures elsewhere in the South Island.
According to regional council Environment Canterbury, the area has had 2mm of rain in the last week.
Parched soils would need 50mm or 60mm over 10 days to recover, according to WeatherWatch forecaster Philip Duncan – enough to flood Christchurch in one day.
Duncan said the 15-day forecast for Canterbury may only provide 4mm to 5mm of rain, but nor-westerly winds may dry this up.
Murchison said the drought affected meat and crop production.
Murchison’s feed is already set back for winter. He only has 30% of pasture across his 770-hectare farm available to feed his animals. To make up for it, he’ll have to feed out 900 bales of baleage – double the usual amount – plus an extra 200 tonnes of silage and 50 tonnes of grain.
Murchison would usually farm up to 100 cattle, but his barren land leaves him with only half a dozen that he can afford to feed for the winter.
“We’ll be right back in terms of cattle. There’s purely not enough good feed to finish cattle on.”
Work has been constant. He has been dropping extra food for his sheep, cattle and deer since January, and that should continue until August. He may have to send younger stock to another farm for grazing, but because the drought is widespread, the options are slim.
Hawarden farmer Dan Hodgen said the drought had set him back for winter. “With very light feed conditions going into winter, I guess the margin for error is gone and tough decisions are common in every day.”
The declared drought means $70,000 is given to the Rural Support Trusts in North, Mid and South Canterbury and Otago to support farmers and growers.
The struggle of drought was part of a
“grim” picture for farmers, Beef and Lamb NZ chairperson Kate Acland said.
“It’s a perfect storm. It’s not just the drought that’s hitting us, but it’s also the low prices, high interest rates and high on-farm costs.”
Still in recovery mode from the threeyear drought, Murchison said his farming community have had it tough. “This year, we've just had a double whammy with poor product prices ... it’s just reality.”
Acland said while it’s tough right now, the foundations of farming businesses were strong enough to weather the storm.
Hodgen said drought was not unexpected in North Canterbury, nor for any farmer.
“Every business has risks and this is one that we’re aware of and try to plan for as best we can ... It’s unwelcome, but it’s not unexpected.”