Tuatapere District Lions Club baleage competition expects more entries this year

Tuatapere District Lions Club hay and baleage competition committee members (from left) Charlie Copeland, of Otahu Flat, Jimmy Harris, of Happy Valley, Ralph Carr, of Clifden, Sammy Sanford, of Otahu Flat, and Quinton Donald, Maurice Green and Stephen Crack, all of Tuatapere. Photo / Shawn McAvinue

An outstanding spring and summer for making supplementary feed in Western Southland may increase the number of entries in an annual hay and baleage competition next week but will hopefully not soften demand at a charity auction, organisers say.

The Tuatapere District Lions Club is holding its 31st annual hay and baleage competition on Friday next week.

Every farmer in the district was asked to donate baleage, hay and straw in the competition.

Competition co-chairman Sammy Sanford said nearly all the 300 farmers asked for a donation usually supported the event.

“About 95 per cent of them donate.”

Farmers usually gave a cash donation if they had no supplementary feed available, he said.

To be eligible for prize draws, competitors had to give eight small hay bales, a large hay bale or a bale of baleage.

Farmers who gave three or more entries would get an early chance at the prize board, he said.

Donations of straw were gratefully received. All of the donations were collected and then judged on quality.

A charity auction of the donated feed would be held at the Rabco Ag yard at 134 Grove Burn Rd in Tuatapere from 3 pm on Friday next week.

Profit from the event would be given to Hospice Southland, the Tuatapere Free Ambulance Service and an education fund for local schools to access.

Competition co-chairman Quinton Donald said contestants entered quality feed because the prize pool was “substantial”, usually more than $25,000.

The first five prizes on offer were worth about $5000, he said. He thanked the more than 100 competition sponsors who gave goods and services as prizes.

Many sponsors would be displaying goods, such as tractors and motorbikes, giving the event the feel of a mini-field day. Some sponsors gave goods such as a culvert pipe, which would also be auctioned on the day.

In 2019, the competition entries were 285 bales of baleage, 42 large hay bales and 344 small hay bales.

There were far fewer entries in the competition last year due to a drought biting in the area.

“We were way back.”

As conditions for growing supplementary feed had been good, he expected entries to be up again this year.

More pine trees being planted in the district might affect the number of entries and the number of buyers at the auction.

Competition committee member Stephen Crack said prizes were also given for the best swede, best fodder beet, best turnip and best chou.

“Some people will bring a wee pizzler and hope they get the bobby prize.”