A clearer picture of the level of damage is starting to emerge after huge downpours hit the region last month. Photo: Supplied
*Amendment: This story has been updated to amend some quotes and details
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 from Potaka 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."
Farms on the East Coast have been 'smashed' by recent storms. Photo: Supplied
King said farms were cut off, and even within farms, farmers could not access their stock.
"This is steep hill country farming - farmers will jump on their horse and get out there if they really have to.”
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 can reassess when we will be able to get machines in to start reinstating access to farms – that’s step one.”
Paddocks have been flooded or left covered in silt and debris. Photo: Supplied
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."
Photo: Supplied
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’s working on a damage assessment that will be sent to the Ministry for Primary Industries and other agencies which support the sector.
"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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