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What A Year It Has Been
Farmers in a Rare Mood
The 2006 farming season will go down as what many farmers in the Mohokare area describe as the best in living memory.
A combination of near perfect weather conditions together with highly attractive market conditions have combined to provide the industry with a much-needed boost.
Stock losses have been exceptionally low and the condition of stock is generally excellent. The fact that rains fell at just the right times, meant that preparation for planting could be done without interruption
The cherry on the top has been that meat prices were unusually high, due partly to last year’s drought forcing farmers to reduce stocks towards the end of the year and starting the new year with far fewer animals than usual.
The 2006 rain ensured high yields of quality green feed and although wet conditions resulted in some parasitic infestation, the incidence was not above normal, while even foot rot did not occur on a serious scale.
The lack of the usual April frosts played an important role in bringing animals through the winter in exceptionally good condition. Frost causes a loss of protein in the veld, which adversely affects the health of animals. Having been saved from this food loss was a vital factor in the season.
The last unusually good rains fell during the 1974 and 1988 seasons. In 1974, the completely dry town dam filled to overflowing in a single night when rainfall of more than 300mm was recorded. Many fields were impenetrable and most food value was leached out of green feed.
In such conditions sodden lambs suffered exceptionally and there were many instances of bodies of the young animals actually bursting open along the backbone. Rift Valley Fever, enzotic abortion and Wesselbron Disease - all virtually unheard of in these parts - created serious problems.
In 1988 the rains, although heavy, occurred earlier in the year and not in such short, excessive downpours, which meant that fields could be ploughed and planted and therefore fewer problems caused.
Looking back over the past two good rainy seasons 2006 seems to have had no recent equal.
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