End of maize pick has been hindered by fortnight of rain

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Wet weather in the past two weeks has disrupted the very end of the region’s grain maize harvest.

Some paddocks were flooded but growers hope they can salvage the crops.

Corson Grain has around 5 percent of its crop still to be harvested.

“We had a couple of paddocks with water through them during the rain events in Tolaga Bay and Te Karaka,” said the company’s procurement manager Richard Hyland.

“The small amount of our crop still to be harvested amounts to around five percent of our total crop.”

Mr Hyland said they had not been able to do a lot for two weeks.

“We will still be able to harvest what’s left but it’s going to be slow going. Just under 1000 tonnes is still out there.

“We are hopeful we can salvage the crops that have had floodwater through them.”

The other company spoken to, Glencore Grain, only has a small amount left to harvest.

“About a truckload. It’s in the Nuhaka area and we should be able to pick it next week,” said regional manager Dave Corrin.

“We had a very good run of weather and harvesting conditions.

“We were lucky those two rain storms came when they did, because almost all of our crop was in.”

Both companies have reported above-average yields this season.

An estimated 40,000 tonnes of grain maize will have been picked by the time the season is wrapped up.