THE truck which carried farm feed from Farmlands Taumarunui to the Napier Riding for the Disabled Stadium last week. PHOTO SUPPLIED
A LARGE load of farm feed donated by clients of Farmlands Taumarunui was trucked to Hawkes Bay last Wednesday. A coordinator of the project, Katie Walker, credited “the amazing generosity of the Taumarunui community members,” thanking those who had collected and loaded the hay and supplied the truck, diesel and other materials. The load included 150 small and 20 big bales of hay, about 20 big bales of sileage and four tonnes of stock feed from Farmlands, all of which was carried to the Napier Riding for the Disabled stadium, ahead of being distributed to Patoka, Dartmoor and Rissington areas. The load from Taumarunui was just one among many similar efforts by King Country farmers to donate to Hawkes Bay. Meanwhile, to encourage a more systematic approach, the Government has restarted the National Feed Coordination Service. This is being operated by Federated Farmers, with funding support from MPI, to assist farmers to source supplementary feed or grazing. “Widespread flooding and winds from Cyclone Gabrielle have damaged pastures and crops, or swept away bales of feed,” Federated Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland said. “It is a tough time for many farmers, especially those in Northland, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, and this is a practical way to provide support. “The damage and destruction caused by Cyclone Gabrielle comes on the back of what has been a challenging, wet season for parts of the North Island. “We know there are farmers across the country eager to provide any help they can. “Having a national Feed Coordination Service has proved valuable in the past, including during the widespread drought in 2020 and the Canterbury floods in 2021, and we encourage farmers to use it.” MPI said the service was up and running, and ready to help. “The unprecedented scale of these events means there is a need for coordinated support at national level to help match farmers with the supplementary feed or grazing they may need for their livestock,” MPI’s director of rural communities and farming support Nick Story said. “MPI has staff in the regions helping with the cyclone response, but this is just another important and practical way we can support farmers to get back on their feet. “It’s likely the worst flood-affected paddocks will be unusable for some time, so we expect demand for the service will increase further in the coming months.” Requests to list or seek grazing or feed can be made online or by phoning 0800 FARMING (0800 327 646).
