Minister visits damaged farms

Nathan Guy is visiting a farm in the badly hit area of Whangaehu area north of Whanganui where he’s expected to make an announcement on what assistance the government will be making available to farmers. He will then head north to Hunterville where there are reports of a large number of slips on hill country farms, which have wiped out farm tracks.

Horizons Regional Council are reporting that there are more than 2000 slips, 25 road closures and 12 farms under water in the region.

Earlier this morning Guy inspected his own dairy farm north of Levin. The farm lies close to an organic dairy farm which was inundated with flood waters yesterday, when a stop bank on the Koputaroa Stream burst. 

Many farmers have told Rural News these latest floods have been more devastating than those of 2004.