Farmers in Taranaki and Taupo should learn lessons from the effect of the recent eruption in Iceland’s dairy farmers, and appropriate plans are necessary to avoid livestock loss in the case of such an event.
Dangers include fluoride poisoning if outside during and after such an event, as well as crumbling teeth and contaminated water.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“He says the Iceland situation shows the relevance of a study published last year that found livestock evacuation from farms affected by volcanic ash during or following a moderate to large volcanic eruption of Mount Taranaki would pose serious logistical challenges for emergency organisations.
“It recommended that large-scale livestock evacuation and relocation should not be considered in future volcanic crisis planning, due to the logistical requirements a large livestock evacuation would require in terms of time and the number of transport units necessary.
“It also questioned the capacity of farms in surrounding regions to support the massive influx of additional livestock that would happen.”