Blizzards bring call for disaster recognition

This Taieri ewe had five lambs. The largest, and only male lamb, has been mothered on to another ewe. Photo / Otago Daily Times

Farmers are urging the Government to declare parts of South Otago and Southland an adverse event zone, describing six days of blizzards the worst spring storm in living memory.

Exactly how many lambs have been killed will not be known until tailing, but at an expected average price of $80 for each lamb, the cost to farmers could be measured in millions of dollars. In recent days, the Owaka Lions Club has collected up to 400 dead lambs a day from the 19km Owaka Valley Rd, for which farmers receive 50c each.

Local farmers say that was the tip of the iceberg, as many have been unable to collect all dead lambs.

A heavy snow warning remained in place for Southland this morning, with the MetService saying that 10 to 15cm of snow could accumulate above 200m tonight.

Agriculture Minister David Carter will visit Southland today to see the disaster for himself, and Federated Farmers adverse events spokesman David Rose said the visit should help him decide about the declaration application.

"The biggest thing an adverse event declaration gives us is access to advice from the Rural Support Trust and recognition. This event is one out of the box," said Mr Rose, a farmer from Winton.

For many farmers, it would be their worst lambing.

"You feel more like a slink truck operator than a farmer at the moment," he said.

It will give affected farmers access to assistance with cleaning up, individual and family support and recovery assistance.

Clinton and Owaka are among the hardest hit areas and local farmer John Latta said the extent of stock deaths would have repercussions throughout the community, from truck drivers to meat workers. The loss will be most significant for the meat industry, which already has surplus processing capacity and declining lamb numbers.

Beef and Lamb NZ forecast a total lamb drop this season of 28.3 million, of which 21.4 million would be killed for export, down from 2005-06 when the lamb drop was 33.8 million and lamb kill 25.4 million.

South Otago farmers spoken to yesterday were stressed and felt helpless at being unable to prevent the deaths. Some farmers have stopped checking lambing ewes, saying that to do so disturbed those sheltering from the storm and exposed them to the elements. A sixth day of snow, rain, wind, hail and sleet was forecast for the already battered coastal belt from Colac Bay in Southland, parts of Central Southland, the Catlins, Owaka and Clinton.

Owaka Valley farmer Ian Willocks said he was losing 80 to 90 lambs a day, but he was worried lambs that survived could succumb to infection in coming weeks.

Three snowfalls of up to 15cm since Saturday had left ground conditions so wet and muddy that newborn lambs had nowhere dry to go, he said.

Owaka farmer Nellie McNab said 25 calves had died from the weather, even though her husband, Peter, and farm staff were working from dawn until well into the night assisting calving cows.

"They are just as vulnerable as lambs in these conditions."

They had been reviving calves and letting them build up strength before returning them to their mothers, but cows and ewes were in self-preservation mode, with many abandoning newborn offspring.

Keith McNab described the scene on his Owaka farm as a disaster. His ewes were lambing on hill country covered in snow and ewes, with no access to grass, were dying from metabolic conditions such as milk fever.

Owaka Valley farmer Grant Bradfield said lambs born to ewes shorn before lambing were coping better than those in full wool, as they sought shelter to have their lamb.

"That's why we prelamb shear." Mr Latta said farmers were frustrated because there was little they could do.

"We try and do our best but this is beyond our control. Once you spread your ewes around the paddock for lambing, they can't be moved around."

Even sheltered areas were turning to bog and lambs were dying after being born in a puddle or mud. He said six days of blizzards and wet and cold conditions was exceptional.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES