Fonterra helping Hawke’s Bay farmers recover from Cyclone Gabrielle

Cyclone Gabrielle has caused a lot of damage to some Hawke's Bay farms. Photo / Warren Buckland.

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The aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle is still taking its toll on Hawke’s Bay farmers, Fonterra Central Districts Regional Head Luke McKee says.

“It was absolutely devastating for farmers in that region,” McKee told The Country Sport Breakfast’s, Brian Kelly.

Many farmers had “significant damage” to their properties, and flooding and silt had destroyed some areas of pasture and washed fences away, he said.

“I remember seeing newly-built houses buried in silt and all you could see were the solar panels that were sticking out the top.”

Power was knocked out, leaving farmers isolated and unable to milk their cows, McKee said.

“Those that could [milk] had to dispose of the milk because our tankers weren’t able to access them.”

Telecommunications were also down, which meant Fonterra was unable to contact isolated farmers to offer assistance.

This didn’t stop the co-op from getting to its farmers though, McKee said.

“Our field teams actively reached out to the affected farmers and some of our people, including myself, flew into the cut-off areas by helicopter – that was the only way to get in there.”

Once they made contact, the Fonterra team was able to provide provisional supplies, assess the damage and understand the immediate needs of farmers, such as animal welfare.

McKee said many Kiwis would now be used to seeing images of the destruction caused by Cyclone Gabrielle but nothing compared to the reality.

“I can tell you from being there on the ground myself that the pictures absolutely don’t do it justice.

“The sheer scale of the damage really brought at home, how severely impacted the region is.”

McKee reckoned the region’s farmers faced a “long, long road to recovery”.

“Our operations team is working incredibly hard, along with other partners in the local councils and Waka Kotahi, to understand what access will likely be available to these impacted communities in time for next season.”

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This included working out which roads are likely to be re-established and whether that infrastructure will support Fonterra’s tanker and trucking equipment.

While it was too early to know what the outcome would be, Fonterra was busy keeping its farmers informed, McKee said.

“We are working hard to provide as much guidance as soon as possible to these impacted farmers in terms of roading and milking implications.”

The mental toll of Cyclone Gabrielle was not to be underestimated, but McKee said he was impressed by how farmers had coped so far.

“It hasn’t ceased to amaze me the resilience our farmers have shown in this region.”

Fonterra is encouraging farmers who feel like they’re struggling to get in touch with its partner, the Rural Support Trust for help.

Cyclone Gabrielle: How you can help

For many farmers and communities in the North Island of New Zealand, the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle has been significant and widespread.

Fonterra’s teams are working closely with partners, including the Rural Support Trust, New Zealand Food Network and Feed Out on the immediate response, as well as assessing what they can do in the weeks ahead.

Click here to find out how you can help.