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Vol 21 No 31, August 14, 2023
Cyclone farms pin hopes on spring Richard Rennie
NEWS
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Weather
HE same weather patterns that wiped out east coast growers and farmers continued to confound recovery efforts for months afterwards, with some respite and access to many back country blocks coming only in recent weeks. Rere farmer and Rural Women New Zealand chair Sandra Matthews said it has taken until the past fortnight for her husband Ian to be able to get to the back of their 536ha Gisborne district property, which bore the brunt of Gabrielle six months ago. “We have only been able to get around on foot to the back of the farm, and we have only just managed to get diggers onto the farm to repair the culverts and slips that came with Gabrielle,” she said. Their story is shared by farmers the length of the east coast, across regions that received up to 300mm of rainfall a month through June and July.
Those events piled water upon water, turning soil into what the Gisborne District Council’s chief scientist described as “ice cream”. Jonathan Bell, Hawke’s Bay area co-ordinator for the Rural Support Trust, said the midwinter blues have descended on the region. He hopes they will lift by September 1. Farmers are finally welcoming a drier weather pattern that is giving them a better run through calving and lambing. But it is also giving many pause as they finally get to absorb just how much damage their properties have sustained in country they may not have had the chance to get to earlier. “A lot are realising this will not be a quick fix, that it will take more than a few months. There is an acceptance that even if a fence is temporary, if it is stock-proof then leave it where it is, move on to the next job to work on,” Bell said. Down on the Hawke’s Bay plains, he said, recovery is being complicated by uncertainty over a property’s risk category, whether that be Category 1 (safe to return Continued page 3
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Healing from a high country tsunami Puketitiri sheep and beef farmer Tim Nelson has a long road ahead restoring access to parts of his farm. Cyclone Gabrielle ruined fences, culverts and roads but, six months on, Nelson is optimistic about rebuilding and knows his friends and community have his back.
SPECIAL REPORT 4, 5, 7
Fresh eyes on farming’s future Adelyne Patrick, Jade Askin and Harry Oliver claimed top prize at the recent Ag&Ed Innovation Challenge after coming up with the idea to create a huhu grub protein powder.
PEOPLE 10 Confidence among dairy, sheep, beef and arable farmers is at historic lows, says Feds.
The red meat sector wants a ‘proper adult conversation’ about trade relations with India.
Ben Anderson comes from a long line of peasants, and is proud to be a peasant farmer.
NEWS 3
MARKETS 8
OPINION 21
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