Farmers in the Maniototo and the Ida Valley want to grow their winter wheat crop but are being stymied by the prohibition on fires still in place.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) councillor Barry Becker told yesterday's meeting the Maniototo was ‘‘as green as green, and you couldn't burn anything out there even if you wanted to''.
The Maniototo, along with all the other wards in the Central Otago District, comes under one umbrella when it comes to fire seasons.
Snow melt and considerable rainfall in some areas has reduced the fire risk considerably although readings from many weather stations placed around the district still indicate the ground is too dry to lift the fire ban.
The weather stations return information on ground temperature, air temperature, ground moisture and the amount of combustible fuel in the area.
Mayor Malcolm Macpherson told the meeting he had received phone calls from three farmers wanting to burn stubble on their land so a new crop could be planted, and seeking advice on what to do.
Councillors suggested last year that the Central Otago district be divided into wards so separate fire seasons could be implemented. No further progress had been made in this regard.
Principal Rural Fire Officer Owen Burgess told the council last year it would be quite a difficult process and could take some time. He said he would probably need more weather stations and that would cost money.
Dr Macpherson said farmers had a very small window for planting and they needed to get their fields cleared. They had expressed their dissatisfaction at the managing of the season. He believed the idea of implementing separate fire seasons had its merits.
CODC assets and contracts manager Murray Washington told the meeting the method of deciding when a fire ban would be put in place was computer based. The fire risk was decreasing all the time but it was still impossible to set a date for the ban to be lifted, he said.
The indices are monitored weekly and the next readings will be on Monday, April 7.
