More rain needed in drought regions
Recent rains across much of the country have had little impact on some of the worst hit drought regions of the country - namely the top of the South Island.
A recent survey has highlighted the important role of the Rural Trust Support during natural disasters.
When Bay of Plenty was hammered by storms in 2017, the local trust was a big help to farming families, the 2018 Rural Recovery Survey has found.
The survey was commissioned by the Rural Support Trust with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. It looked into farm support after Cyclones Debbie and Cook in April 2017.
“Our team were kept busy during the storms and their aftermath as we supported rural people and their families,” says trust chairperson Miles Mander.
Their efforts included search and rescue at the height of the storm, visiting homes with the Red Cross to check on affected people, farm cleanups, managing people’s wellbeing and helping rural families get needed resources.
“The most common need was helping people work through what they needed to do. The floods were so severe, there was so much work, it was overwhelming for many,” says Mander.
“There were the logistics of working around road closures and flood waters, helping people displaced from their homes, then helping them see the massive and lengthy clean up ahead.”
The trust was appreciated most for its face to face support. About 96% of respondents said the support was “very likely” or “somewhat likely” of value and they would seek advice or support from the trust in a similar event.
Survey results were collected from 25 out of 98 people who were either affected by the weather or were part of a supporting agency.
The Commerce Commission says connectivity options for rural New Zealanders are front-of-mind as it begins a formal investigation into the future of the copper network.
Grand Finalists have been selected, all regional finals have concluded, and the journey towards the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final is underway.
Hopes of NZ sheepmeat prices picking up anytime soon in the country's key export market of China looks highly unlikely.
Regional councils are welcoming the certainty for councils in today’s Resource Management Act (RMA) announcement by the Government.
ASB says the decision to sign on to the AgriZeroNZ joint venture came out of a wish to be a part of the solution.
Federated Farmers says changes announced to the Resource Management Act today mark the end of the war on farming.
OPINION: Talking about plant-based food: “Chicken-free chicken” start-up Sunfed has had its valuation slashed to zero by major investor Blackbird…
OPINION: Synlait's financial woes won’t be going away anytime soon.