“It’s a real testament to that rural community - everyone out there helping each other.”
Now the main focus was to support farmers with the ongoing recovery, he said.
“There’s still a fair amount of clean-up needing to happen out on-farm.”
As for Fonterra, milk collection was getting back to normal and Borrie wanted to acknowledge the people who made it happen.
“Hats off to our transport team - they worked really hard to minimise the impacts for farmers ... [they] were eager to get out there and collect that milk as quick as they could, so that was really great.”
Mike Borrie, Fonterra's regional head for Northland. Photo / Supplied
More about the regional head role
The main purpose of Borrie’s job was to oversee and help his team help Fonterra’s farmers, he said.
“There’s a real need to adapt and change and keep on innovating - to keep our farming businesses at the forefront of being the best in the world - being the most efficient and continuing to be resilient.”
Borrie’s team members include area managers and sustainable dairy advisors, as well as technical specialists who provide advice on anything from cropping to animal care.
The Farm Source stores were also a “very important piece” of the role, he said.
“The people within the stores are working very hard to provide the best customer service, minimising the impacts of rising costs for farmers, and having the right products at the right time for when they need them.”
Another part of his job is to build strong relationships with key stakeholders, such as local councils and iwi.
“They play a really important part in giving us the license to operate and continuing having that ability to dairy farm up in Northland and throughout New Zealand.”
Also in today’s interview: Borrie talked about a partnership with the Kaipara Moana Remediation programme which involves fencing and planting to reduce sediment flow into the Kaipara Harbour.
Cyclone Gabrielle: how you can help
For many farmers and communities in the North Island of New Zealand, the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle has been significant and widespread.
Fonterra’s teams are working closely with partners including the Rural Support Trust, New Zealand Food Network and Feed Out on the immediate response, as well as assessing what they can do in the weeks ahead.
