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Drought declared in New Zealand's South Island, other areas under watch

Xinhua, February 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

The New Zealand government on Thursday officially declared a drought on the east of the South Island after weeks of a long, dry summer that has seen many farmers prepare to cull their stock.

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said the drought conditions were "a medium-scale adverse event", the mid point on a three-level scale of adversity, between "national" and "localized. "

"This is recognition of the extreme dry conditions farmers and growers are facing, and triggers additional government support," Guy said in a statement.

The declaration covered parts of the Otago and Canterbury regions and the Marlborough District.

"The Ministry for Primary Industries has been monitoring the conditions very closely over recent months. Most farmers have coped so far by destocking and using feed supplies, and most will not need extra support," said Guy.

"However it's clear that conditions are only going to get tougher as the seasons change and we need to prepare now."

Guy said the government was also keeping a very close eye on Wairarapa and southern Hawkes Bay areas, in the southeast of the North Island, which were also suffering from very dry conditions.

The declaration enabled the government's Inland Revenue agency to allow farmers to restructure tax payments so they could deal with the effects of the drought.

Critics said the government's declaration was too little too late to help many farmers, who also faced plunging dairy prices.

"Many farmers were desperate a month ago," said primary industries spokesperson Richard Prosser, of the opposition New Zealand First Party.

"It's not just a case of there being no rain; it's the fact that soil moisture levels are down from a long period of not enough rain," Prosser said in a statement.

The last officially declared drought in the southern summer of 2012-2013 covered all of the South Island and much of the North Island, and was estimated to have shaved a full percentage point off New Zealand's gross domestic product growth in 2013. Endi