20 February 2019

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Waimea Weekly

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Wednesday 20 February 2019

Stepping up to the challenge Page 20

Page 14 -15

Rotoiti Powerboat Club Regatta

Webb triples up

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Farmers, growers feeling the heat Farming and other food producing businesses across the Waimea are suffering, their owners forced into considering worst-case scenarios as hot, dry weather, exacerbated by drying winds, take its toll. While there is some hope on the horizon this weekend that Cyclone Oma will deliver much-needed rain, no one wants to pin all their hopes on the weather forecast. Appleby vegetable grower Mark O’Connor says, in his 20 years’ of growing he has never experienced a situation like the current one. “It’s pretty drastic, people are really struggling.” With their water allocation down to 35 per cent of what is normal, for the past three weeks growers have been forced into choosing what they water, decisions based on what could survive and what their returns might be. The lack of rain could not have come at a worse time, he says, as now is usually the busiest time for planting winter crops. For many, they are just not planting, as without water it’s a futile exercise. Plants are being thrown out. The situation extends right across the Waimea Plains, he says, but although it’s a tough time it’s important to keep some

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Nelson Model T club member Jim Wareing and rally director Rob Thompson with Jim’s Model T Ford. More than 45 Model T Fords from across the country will gather in the area this weekend for the national Model T Full SToRy PAGE 9 Ford rally, with over 120 members travelling from as far north as Warkworth and as far south as Mosgiel. Photo: Matt McCrorie.

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