Central Otago farmers are set to get additional support as they battle through the persistent dry spell.

The Government has expanded its medium-scale adverse event classification, which it has in place for Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman districts, to also include Otago and Canterbury.

That move, announced by Agriculture Minister Todd McClay this week, will include a tax relief, and enables the Ministry of Social Development to consider rural assistance payments.

Niwa meteorologist/forecaster Ben Noll told The Central App earlier this week that the dry spell could linger across the district further into autumn.

He said it would take “a while” before any substantial rainfall arrived.

Federated Farmers high country - Otago vice chair Andrew Paterson, who farms at Matakanui Station, said the dry conditions were affecting a lot of farmers across Central Otago.

Those dry conditions saw Falls Dam drop to four per cent capacity in February, which has left farmers in the district on 25 per cent “water rations”. 

Andrew said that restriction has hit farmers hard.

However, he said good work was being done to maintain minimum flow in the Manuherekia River.

“We’re running the river higher than the voluntary minimum flow,” he said.

To help ease the pressure, up to $70,000 will be provided to Rural Support Trusts in Otago and Canterbury to facilitate community and one-on-one support for affected farmers and growers.

“It comes on top of the $20,000 allocated to Top of the South Rural Support Trust last month to ensure early support was available,” Todd said.

Federated Farmers Otago president Luke Kane said the money would be well spent, supporting farmers and growers who need it most.

“If this continues longer [in affected areas] and they stop stockwater, what happens then? We definitely don’t want to see that.”

Luke farms near Tapanui, so has not been affected by the dry conditions.

However, he said one “silver lining” to the contrast in conditions across the regions was a surplus of baleage.

“There’s plenty available and . . . it’s good buying for the people that do have to go to market and buy it.”

Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson visited affected regions recently, where he met farmers, growers and sector groups, and discussed the challenging weather conditions.

“The dry conditions have affected some fodder crop yields and farmers have already been feeding out winter supplementary feed to livestock,” he said.

“Rain over the weekend [last week] in parts of Canterbury and Otago failed to deliver any significant relief to parched soils.”

The Ministry for Primary Industries has also been working with sector groups, regional bodies and farmers to prepare for El Niño since its arrival last year, and continues to monitor the situation to determine where additional support is needed.

Farmers and growers who require support are encouraged to call their local Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254.