Farmers feeling the pinch

WAIRARAPA farmers are feeling the pinch and are selling off stock to ease the pressure on pasture as a decent, saturating rain refuses to arrive.
The long, dry spell has stopped grass growth in its tracks and although most farmers are hopeful the end is in sight they have been warned this might not be the case.
Weather forecasters are predicting the east coast of the North Island will have below average rainfall for the next three months and the president of Federated Farmers in Wairarapa, Jim Weston, said it is not unusual for droughts to start to bite during the autumn months.
He said the few brief showers that have fallen in the last few days may "hold" pasture for three or four days but will do nothing to get it cracking again.
"One good windy day will suck 6mm straight out again."
Mr Weston said although the condition of most sheep appeared to be holding up quite well many farmers were not taking risks and were selling off stock to avoid a feed crisis.
About the only winners in that situation were the freezing works that had an influx of work.
Mr Weston said the irony is that further into the year when the pattern changes there will be a shortage of stock for sale and those who have animals for market should reap the financial rewards.
It was no good relying on wool prices to pick up the slack - "that market is disastrous, the strong dollar has killed the wool price."
At yesterday's Carterton Country Livestock sale stock agents spoke of the impact the dry weather was having.
Lyall Hicks said farmers have been selling off cattle as well as sheep.
"We need a couple of inches of rain."
"Lamb sales have been a bit slow, with more sellers than buyers but prices are holding up pretty well considering the dry conditions".
Mr Hicks said Wairarapa has always been known "to have a bit of a drought at this time of year".
Stock agent Bill Carter said the normal course of events was more rain, more grass, more buyers.
He said although the dry weather was encouraging farmers to sell off their sheep the condition of the animals was "still positive".
Pongaroa farmer Steven Adshead said his sheep are still in "excellent" condition and he is holding his ram lambs and fattening them until prices go up.
"The dry weather has not really affected us like most other places"v
Lifestyle farmer John Baker, of Carterton, said feed was tight and he had sold off lambs.
There had not been enough rain to do any good and he was already feeding out.