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Farmers from around the world are banding together to support their peers in the cyclone-affected East Coast region of New Zealand.
A page has been established to raise money for the region’s agricultural sector, which was devastated during Cyclone Gabrielle two weeks ago.
The Give-a-Little page has been set up by global AgriTech company Te Pari – based in Oamaru – with funds going directly to Rural Support Trust for distribution.
Rural Support Trust is a charity that provides on-the-ground support and assistance to rural communities nationwide, through regional trusts.
East Coast Rural Support Trust chairperson Clint Worthington said 100 per cent of donations would go to impacted communities.
“These donations won’t just go towards the next month or two, but will be helping farmers set up for the long-term as well,” Mr Worthington said.
“The process of recovery from an adverse event like this is in three stages – response and ensuring safety during the first few weeks; recovery, which can take three to four months; and then rebuilding.
“There is massive damage, and it will take years to recover from, so we need to have that long-term focus.”
Above: What's left of fruit trees in the Esk Valley.
Te Pari marketing manager Corban Blampied, who is coordinating the fundraising effort, travelled to the region last week to speak with farmers.
“The devastation was much worse than we expected,” he said.
“Local farmers will be hurting for a very long time. We’re asking farmers and people in other rural communities from around the world to band together and offer these guys some financial support to help get the sector moving again.”
Mr Blampied said many Hawke’s Bay farmers share similar stories of devastation.
“The cyclone has affected produce, livestock and the NZ agricultural industry as a whole,” he said.
“While the community is resilient, they do need support, especially during this rebuilding process.”
Rissington Cattle Company fifth-generation farmer Daniel Absolom (pictured top) - who runs a large-scale seed and breeding bulls farm – said they have limited road access after the bridge connecting them to town was washed out.
“We've been offered a lot of farmer support from other farmers, but we have really much been on our own,” Mr Absolom said.
“For now, we're just focused on getting families safe and happy and in their houses with power, food, water and fuel.
“In another week’s time, we're going to need people supporting with shovels.”
Martin Pastoral farm manager Dave Martin – who runs a 2200-hectare sheep, beef and crop farm in Wairoa – said they had only just recovered from the damage inflicted by the March 2022 floods, when cyclones Hale and Gabrielle hit.
“Eleven months ago, we were devastated by the damage and destruction from the last floods,” Mr Martin said.
“Now, we’re back to square one; only this time, it’s worse than it was last year.
“We weren’t expecting a flood of this proportion, let alone thinking that we could have a flood bigger than Cyclone Bola.” 
Above: A damaged pivot irrigator in the Esk Valley.
It is understood Cyclone Gabrielle’s economic costs surpasses that of Cyclone Bola in 1988, with cost estimates reported to be in the billions.
Cyclone Bola’s horticulture and farming losses amounted to $90 million (equivalent to $210m in 2023), with the government’s cyclone repair bill more than $111m ($260m).
Repair costs from Cyclone Gabrielle are expected to exceed $13 billion.
This is the second consecutive year that flooding has destroyed ready-to-harvest crops in the Hawke’s Bay region.
Mr Martin said contractors will do the best they can to try to see what can still be harvested.
“But obviously the corn cobs will have silt all through them, so it remains to be seen if this is able to be processed,” he said
The loss extends to the crops already prepared and stored before the floods.
“Our squash was already picked before the cyclone hit, but because of the power outages in Gisborne, it sat in crates for 10 days so now we’re throwing that crop out,” Mr Martin said.
“It is just devastating.”
