This time next year the farming situation could be even more dire in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor
This time next year the farming situation could be even more dire in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor
One farmer has gone from 1800 lambing ewes to zero. Another has watched the thousands of native trees he'd planted for better environmental practices wither.
The stories coming out of drought-stricken Central Hawke's Bay are getting worse by the day, and still the sun beats down.
Farmers say the Government,which has poured billions into propping up Covid-19-hit businesses, needs to come to the party with more aid as livelihoods go up in dust.
Tikokino deer and dry stock owner Grant Charteris said he had planted 9000 native trees on his farm over the past couple of years, in keeping with the Hawke's Bay Regional Council's plan addressing water-quality issues.
Now hundreds and thousands of those trees are dead, at a cost of about $90,000.
That loss won't be covered, and it's a cost which adds to the already high cost of feed, stock, compliance, and Covid-19 restrictions that is causing a "huge hit".
"It's a perfect storm of everything going wrong at the same time."
He said, in these conditions, having to comply with consent rules and regulations, "left, right and centre," within a tight timeframe was taking a major toll.
"It's pretty tough out here. We've been struggling since January," he said.
Charteris said the Government's latest drought relief package, a $500,000 fund for advisory services, was a "drop in the ocean" and wouldn't go far in alleviating struggling farmers' problems.
"In feeding, grazing alone I have spent $150,000 and my [projected] loss of income could amount to a quarter of a million dollars," he said.
"The relief package is a drop in the ocean, and while $5000 towards a few consultants and people doing a few feed budgets are required and needed, it's too little too late really."
He said if the Government really wanted to help, it would provide financial aid to farmers to fund feed brought in from the South Island.
Grant Charteris, with his wife Sally and children Harry and Lottie, are struggling to keep up with what the Government requires of them as farmers. Photo / Paul Taylor
But Charteris said it could do something else that would cost less and make sense given the crisis - ease off the pressure over compliance of rules and regulations within a tight timeframe.
"The Government could take the foot off the throat a bit regarding consent conditions and processes," he said.
"They want farmers to comply to rules and regulations left, right and centre."
All landowners in the Tukituki catchment have needed Farm Environment Management Plans (FEMPs) since 2018 to manage their nutrient losses and resource consents to farm have been required for more than 300 farms during 2020.
This week alone, Hawke's Bay Regional Council reports raised concerns about nitrates in the district's drinking water supplies.
Consent conditions will control what farmers can do on their land and will severely restrict practices that result in high levels of nitrogen leaching into ground and surface water.
The limits set by the Tukituki Catchment Plan, for the acceptable level of nutrients in both groundwater and surface water, are some of the strictest in New Zealand.
"Right now we have no access to consultants, and while we understand and support the Government's plan for clean fresh water, that's just extra pressure we don't need right now," Charteris said.
"We need the Government to give us 12 months to organise and iron out consenting forms and processes.
"They need to wind back the pressure so we can do it sensibly, otherwise it will have a detrimental effect on agriculture moving forward."
Hawke's Bay Federated Farmers president Jim Galloway said the drought had been exacerbated by a shortage of hay and silage and Covid-19 restrictions which had prevented neighbours helping each other out and caused backlogs at freezing works.
"Freezing works are at 50 per cent capacity and some baleage had doubled in price, which is pretty disheartening to see."
He said there was no real financial aid from the Government for farmers.
"Every single week, farmers are having to go back and look at what else they can sell," he said.
"A farmer had to sell all 1800 of his lambing ewes.
"Capital stock numbers have had to be reduced drastically."
He said there was welfare assistance available for farmers, but it was not easy to get.
"Farmers need to talk to their accountants, and make sure they talk to each other."
