Government agencies are working with Canterbury farmers to assess the likelihood of damage to the network of irrigation systems critical to farming in the area.
Canterbury coastal areas have low annual rainfall, and summer droughts are common. Water for irrigating pasture and crops is extracted from deep wells and lowland streams including the Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers.
Farms have sufficient water supplies for the time being, Minister of Agriculture David Carter told the N.Z. Herald.
“The next stage is to assess the more difficult unforeseen damage, particularly in wells, submerged pumps and the network of irrigation that exists around the farm,” he said.
In January and February earthquake damage could create serious and urgent problems for farmers in the drought-prone areas.
Phil Journeaux from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry monitors the effectiveness of Government support when disasters impact the rural sector.
It could be another week before a clear picture of the situation was available, Mr Journeaux told the Herald.
The extent of problems underground would only become evident once all the irrigation networks had been ‘pressurised’.
The earthquake has affected 400 farms, of which 150 had suffered substantially in one way or another, Journeaux said.
Canterbury coastal areas have low annual rainfall, and summer droughts are common. Water for irrigating pasture and crops is extracted from deep wells and lowland streams including the Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers.
Farms have sufficient water supplies for the time being, Minister of Agriculture David Carter told the N.Z. Herald.
“The next stage is to assess the more difficult unforeseen damage, particularly in wells, submerged pumps and the network of irrigation that exists around the farm,” he said.
In January and February earthquake damage could create serious and urgent problems for farmers in the drought-prone areas.
Phil Journeaux from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry monitors the effectiveness of Government support when disasters impact the rural sector.
It could be another week before a clear picture of the situation was available, Mr Journeaux told the Herald.
The extent of problems underground would only become evident once all the irrigation networks had been ‘pressurised’.
The earthquake has affected 400 farms, of which 150 had suffered substantially in one way or another, Journeaux said.
