Operation Army Worm ...
Copter Crashes Near Wairoa

Pasture - ravaging "army worms" won the first round of a land-and-air war when the helicopter below crashed near Wairoa last week.

The 'copter was part of an airborne defence set up by harassed farmers to spray paddocks.

It crashed near the Poututu station homestead when its power transmission failed. Damage was estimated at more than £2000.

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"Army worms" are actually a type of caterpillar. They have chewed their way through 5000 acres of valuable pastures between Waihua and Mahia in the last month.
Total area of the "battle zone" is over 15.000 acres.

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