1 Jul 2014

Farmers rally after sheep slaughter

2:53 pm on 1 July 2014

North Otago farmers are holding fund-raising sale to support the family who had nearly 200 sheep slaughtered on their property last week.

The animals were shot over two nights on Peter Stackhouse's Ngapara farm, 30km inland from Oamaru.

Federated Farmers is arranging a stock sale on Monday 7 July at the Waiareka Saleyards and is hoping people will donate ewes or lambs.

Lyndon Strang from Federated Farmers said the loss of so many stock and the effect on the Stackhouse farm is huge.

"It's the financial impact but it's also the mental impact knowing someone has been snooping around your property. I think that is just as big," he said.

"The value of these animals is conservatively in excess of $20,000. It is a pretty big loss for them but we also want to show that we are a pretty tight community and we are looking after each other."

Mr Strang said people have phoned up from Canterbury and Southland expressing sympathy and asking how they could help.

Farmers in the North Otago area were nervous about what happened. "We are concerned about this being a precursor to something more serious and I think that is what is worrying most locals," said Mr Strang.