September 22, 2005

NZ weather kills 100,000 lambs

A late burst of Winter weather brought the familiar images of newborn lambs in the high country and mountains being frozen to death. This is an annual event and it always suprises me it doesn't cause any outrage. Farmers being the backbone of the country (or so they want to believe) basically think they can get away with anything, Dominionism seems to be their main ideology - apart from voting National and generally making a mockery of New Zealand's clean, green image. There were luckily quite a few farmers that had heeded the bad weather warning and brought down their flocks to shelter, saying each lamb was worth $100. So this morning's radio report that 100,000 lambs have died does not make any economic sense to me - it's a $10 million loss. Or maybe farmers are rolling in it they can afford to write this off instead of needing to display good animal husbandry.

Contrast this to the fruit and grape growers, who chartered a fleet of helicopters to hover above the vineyards to keep the air circulating and prevent frostbite on the vines. This must have cost a bomb to do.
Since I am a fully paid-up member of the SPCQ (the Society for the Protection of Chardonnay Quaffers) I applaud them! If only the SPCA could prosecute farmers.

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