As farmers desperately wait for nature to give them a much needed break, NIWA’s autumn forecast does come under a brighter rainbow for parched pastures and farmer anxiety as worst-decision time approaches.
A serious concern now is an autumn drought, which would be worse because there won’t be enough autumn growth to see livestock through winter.
NIWA’s seasonal climate outlook for autumn is bringing the hope of rain for drought-stricken Canterbury following a summer with some of the lowest rainfalls on record for many parts of the region.
The outlook, released last week, forecast an equal chance of near normal or above normal rain for the east of the South Island for the three months of autumn, March to May.
But while farmers were encouraged by the news, many say it’s crunch time as they weigh up livestock numbers and consider what they can realistically carry through the winter.
Decent rain was needed every week this month.
Sheep and beef farmers have off-loaded store lambs and cut their ewe flocks and were now at the point of culling their hoggets.
Dairy farmers on full or partial irrigation restrictions have culled empty cows, adjusted milking rosters and laid off staff.
Industry-good organisations for both sectors released programmes to help farmers though the drought.
“The rules are designed to safeguard and improve water quality for the future.”
Kim Drummond
ECan
Rain now could mean that farmers battling the drought would be able to grow winter feed crops.
“If we don’t get the March-April rain we will be facing a very, very serious situation from here on in,” South Canterbury Federated Farmers president Ivon Hurst said.
Irrigated ground was slowly being reduced in area and volume in South Canterbury with only one Waitaki River-fed scheme still running.
In Mid Canterbury all schemes were on restrictions of some level and the problem for farmers now was allocated limits.
With water still available some farmers had approached Environment Canterbury (ECan) for exemptions to exceed their consented allocated limits.
But ECan was not budging.
“We have been asked by some consent-holders whether their annual volume limit can be increased as they realise they are going to run out before the end of the season if rain does not come soon,” ECan chief executive Bill Bayfield said.
“The answer we have been providing to consent-holders is no, as the annual volume on a groundwater take is a condition set when a consent is applied for and granted.
“Consent conditions are written to provide reliable water supply for nine years out of 10. It appears this may be the one season in 10 when farmers have to manage with less water,” Bayfield said.
“We are working with farmers who are genuinely having trouble coping but we also need to take into account what others have done to manage the situation,” he said.
In some areas farmers were working collectively to ensure water was available to those with the greatest need while staying within overall groundwater volume limits.
ECan was working with those groups and supported that approach, Bayfield said.
“We are continuing to work with farmers, central government, other councils and industry groups to help farmers cope with the ongoing drought as well as encouraging them to update their systems and practices to ensure efficient and effective water use.”
ECan also confirmed its stance relating to farmers facing challenges in their use of water for stock during the drought.
While it was crucial for farmers to have access to the water they needed for stock, potential environmental impacts and the rules to mitigate them must also be acknowledged, resource management director Kim Drummond said.
“Access to stock water is top priority.
“If access to the water stock need to drink is subject to resource consent conditions, ECan will consider those conditions and the farmer’s circumstances with the present situation in mind,” Drummond said.
But ECan could not authorise intensively farmed stock getting direct access to natural waterways.
“The rules are designed to safeguard and improve water quality for the future.
“It’s not in anyone’s longer term interests to have stock in waterways because water quality will be compromised and we won’t hesitate to take action if this is required to protect the environment.
“Having said that, we are seeing farmers taking steps to get water on to their farms and we encourage these, as long as they’re within the rules of the consent. Examples are pumping and trucking water in,” Drummond said.
