Help available for flood-hit farmers
The chair of the Otago Rural Support Trust, Tom Pinckney, says he believes that they will be especially busy in the coming months as the enormity of the floods hit home.
This funding is part of the $50 million support package announced on Tuesday evening. Applications can be made from today.
The funding will go towards grants for farmers and growers for urgent work, including fencing, and clearing silt to save trees and vines.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says their focus will be on the hardest hit areas, such as Hawke’s Bay, where key primary sector infrastructure, along with crops, vines and pastures were knocked out by the cyclone, not to mention the loss of stock and essential feed faced by farmers.
“It’s vital we help rural businesses recover so we can keep our regional economies ticking and exports flowing.”
The support provides grants to growers of $2,000 per hectare up to a maximum of $40,000 to remove silt from trees and vines, business operations where they support the clean-up, and minimise tree and vine losses.
O’Connor says the horticulture sector was hit hard by the cyclone, particularly in Hawke’s Bay. The funding will also help to preserve vital trees and vines for future production.
“Pastoral and arable farmers will be receive grants of up to $10,000 to help recovery efforts. Farmers know their farms best, and this grant will help them to direct the money where it will help most, which could include repairs to stock-water infrastructure and fencing.
“Farmers and growers can start their repairs now and the grant scheme will open from tomorrow afternoon. Getting a grant will be a simple process and the Ministry for Primary Industries will be working with people on the ground to provide information to farmers and growers.
“An independent panel of appointed primary sector experts will help monitor the funding to ensure it is going towards appropriate uses. This response will be kept under review to ensure we are meeting the need on the ground,” O’Connor said.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson says this is not the end of the support the Government will be providing. “We’re committed to working with people on-the-ground, the primary sector and business community to ensure the recovery goes well,” Robertson said.
