'Farmy Army' rallies troops to help with massive clean-up effort

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The “Farmy Army” has mobilisied again for another mission — helping in the massive clean-up of cyclone-ravaged properties in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.

The Federated Farmers volunteer group was dubbed the “Farmy Army” when it first rallied to help in the recovery effort after the 2010-2011 Christchurch earthquakes.

Farmers headed into the city with their tractors and diggers to help shift silt and liquifaction.

It was also a major force in clean-up efforts after the Southland floods in February 2020.

The initiative is about skilled farmers leading the way to help other farmers — particularly after adverse events — with tasks like shearing sheep that might be at risk of flystrike, mending fences and operating farm machinery.

About 600 farmer volunteers have so far come forward to lend a hand to about 55 farmers who have registered their needs in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The volunteer troops gathered this morning at Farmlands stores in Gisborne, Wairoa and Hastings for a breakfast and to collect supplies before heading out to properties.

The cost of damage to this region's pastoral farming properties alone has been estimated at about $80 million and climbing.

A survey from a recent pastoral farming meeting showed 145,000 hectares of sheep and beef land had been impacted.

Affected farmers and growers have been urged to register for financial help through the Ministry for Primary Industries.

However, practical help is also needed on the ground to get businesses back up and running.

Much of the on-farm damage was to fences, which were destroyed by floodwaters, wood waste and other debris mobilised in the floods.

Hence, the Farmy Army's focus this weekend is on starting fence repairs and in many cases, the general clean-up needed just to access fence lines.

The task is not just focused on farms, but also on horticulture blocks and vineyards.

The Farmy Army's efforts are part of a wider Post Your Support campaign, which was launched at the Central Districts Field Days earlier this month in recognition of the huge damage done to farm infrastructure.

Tens of thousands of kilometres were thought to have been destroyed in rural areas affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

The cost of rebuilding fencing at normal market rates is about $30,000 per kilometre.

The focus of the Post Your Support fundraiser was on people “buying” fenceposts through Farmlands for $20 each, which would then go towards paying for a metre of replacement fencing at a discounted price.

In a clip posted to the , Federated Farmers vice-president Wayne Langford said this weekend was a chance to “get out amongst it” and lend a hand.

“We'd love your help. Just bring people. That's what we need at the moment.

“We're going to work on (arranging) machinery in weeks to come and we'll start to get that stuff going, but this is all about just getting under way and getting the recovery started and doing what we can.”