Drought-Like Conditions Could Be 1989 Re-Run

NEW ZEALAND - With drought-like conditions appearing early in the current summer, the MetService’s weather ambassador, Bob McDavitt, is advising farmers in Federated Farmers latest National Farming Review (NFR), to check their farm performance data for 1989.
calendar icon 7 December 2010
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With the NFR is currently hitting mail boxes, the advice Bob McDavitt gives is incredibly timely,” says Federated Farmers President, Don Nicolson.

“Bob McDavitt’s column in the NFR puts this summer’s La Nina on a par with that experienced in 1988/1989 as well as back in 1975/1976. It seems with the weather, history can indeed repeat, so he advises farmers to check their farm data for 1989.

“What we are currently experiencing is a pattern similar to that seen 21 and 44 years ago respectively. I don’t wish to annoy camping ground owners, but several weeks of rain would dramatically improve the current picture.

“And as Bob McDavitt points out, January 1989 was a pretty wet month for Auckland. I know a lot of farmers in north eastern parts will have their fingers crossed that weather history does indeed repeat.

“But I also know farmers in areas affected by this dry weather are getting excellent advice and are preparing their farms and stock accordingly.

“With our annualised rainfall, drought shouldn’t be a word in our vocabulary, yet it is. This is why Federated Farmers advocates strongly that water storage should be national infrastructure.

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