Source: Radio New Zealand
Farms at the top end of the East Coast have been “smashed” by recent storms, with stock isolated and extensive damage to land and infrastructure.
A clearer picture of the level of damage is starting to emerge after huge downpours hit the region last month.
Representatives from Beef and Lamb and Tai Rāwhiti Whenua Collective have been going farm to farm doing damage assessments.
Beef and Lamb’s Pania King said the damage is isolated to Hicks Bay down to Te Araroa and slightly inland.
“We’ve seen everything from erosion and landslides through to debris and silt throughout paddocks, water systems and culverts are gone and a huge amount of fencing is down – so it’s quite extensive the amount of damage that has happened on those farms and on that whenua.”
King said farms were cut off, and even within farms, farmers could not access their stock.
“This is step hill country farming – farmers will jump on their horse and get out there if they really have to, but stock should have feed and water.”
She said farmers and contractors were waiting for the land to dry out before getting heavy machinery in to start the cleanup.
“It’s still raining here on Monday, so we are hoping by Wednesday we will be able to get machines in to start reinstating access to farms – that’s step one.”
King, alongside others involved in the recovery, also took to the air to assess the damage.
“It was quite emotional actually because I did the farm assessments in Gabrielle and it was going through the back of my head how many gains we have made, how much work has gone into rebuilding the infrastructure on their farms and how much capital has gone in – and now its all back to square one.
“I was feeling disheartened for our farmers, because for many this is the second or third time they’ve been hit hard in recent years.”
She said five farms had been listed as a priority.
“They’ve been really smashed – the destruction on those farms is actually quite unreal.”
King said the morale on farms was something everyone was keeping a close eye on.
“As you can imagine, it’s only natural to be feeling pretty down in the dumps when you’ve done this two or three times – this is not their first rodeo.”
She said the damage assessment should be with the Ministry for Primary Industries by end of Tuesday, so she was hoping a package of support would be organised to help farmers recover.
“We need to recover pastures and get some crops growing ahead of winter for feed otherwise that will bring a whole other issue for our farmers.
She says the farms hit were 95 percent whenua Māori, so the farmers would rebuild and stay on their land.
“This is a close-knit community, and everyone is looking out for each other and helping where they can.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand