Farmers In Quake Hit Areas Need To Ask For Help If They Can

November 17, 2016

Phone services are patchy and roads are buckled but Federated Farmers is assuring North Canterbury farmers hammered by the earthquakes they don’t have to struggle alone.

After the 2011 quakes ravaged Christchurch Feds put together the ‘Farmy Army’ to get into the urban area to help clean-up efforts with equipment, skills and manpower.

This is not the kind of response required in the rugged and spread out southern Marlborough, Hurunui and North Canterbury hinterland but a "virtual Farmy Army" is gathering momentum.

Since the launch of the Feds’ 0800FARMING (0800 327 646) line on Monday about 200 calls have been logged. The line aims to match those offering help with those who need it.

Miriam Bravenboer, a Federated Farmers Member Services Team Leader, says all manner of offers have come in, including accommodation, generators, money, willingness to take on cows for milking and manpower for urgent farming tasks.

A lines company that had trucks heading north asked if any farmers needed items transported.

"One person offered a year’s worth of grazing for up to 1000 stock units for free. The person preferred that help to be for a young and struggling farming family but wasn’t too worried if that wasn’t the case.

"Someone else with access to six helicopters asked ‘what do you need?’. And a Christchurch business that leases caravans is offering free delivery if farm accommodation was destroyed by the earthquakes," Miriam says.

Just eight of the calls logged were from farmers who needed help but Miriam anticipated that would pick up as phone and internet services in the badly affected districts started to come back online.

Help requested included somewhere to store deer velvet because a freezer unit had been knocked out, and someone else who needed drinking water.

Now that tourists stranded in Kaikoura are on their way again via naval vessels, attention can turn to getting the township and surrounding farms back on their feet.

Federated Farmers Adverse Events spokesperson Katie Milne said farmers in need should not feel they have to battle tough odds on their own. People reaching out via the 0800 number were genuine in their desire to be of use.

The 0800 number is also available to townspeople in affected areas who need assistance.

The communication channel helps Feds build a clearer picture of how badly backblock farms have been affected, and what the needs are.

Katie is also delighted with the way other organisations are responding in a spirit of pulling together to get communities on the east coast of the South Island back up to speed.

Spark, Chorus, Vodafone and other telecommunications providers were working together to reinstate data and phone back-up links wherever it is technically feasible. Farmlands, FMG and New Zealand Post have all offered assistance from their teams in the region.

ENDS

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