Crops struggling as Tasman region sees early drought Parched produce lines the Waimea Plains in the driest region in New Zealand.
Source: 1 NEWS Crops in the Tasman region are struggling with the region now in early drought and the driest region in New Zealand.
"The small, leafy [vegetables] – your lettuces, your spinaches and silverbeet – they’re struggling.
They’re struggling," Mark Connor of Appleby Fresh said.
But the wait for water is only lengthening in the Tasman, and river water levels are getting low.
All the rivers are what we call below mean annual low flow, so that’s getting low," Tasman District Council’s Dennis Bush-King said.
The Rai River fell below its minimum flow level on Sunday, ceasing all 18 consented water takes.
Two weeks ago, the Nelson-Richmond area saw around four millimetres of rainfall, but it was dry leading up to that, and NIWA says the next seven to 10 days is expected to be dry overall.
Up in the hills, hikers have been advised to carry plenty of water, with tanks running dry along popular local trails at a number of huts and campsites.
Tasman Council-owned forests and popular Nelson tracks are now off-limits.