Cyclone Gabrielle: Cut-off Hawke’s Bay farmers set up alternative system to get stock to markets

File photo / NZH

RNZ

Farmers in the cut-off Hawke’s Bay community of Patoka are setting up a system to help them shift stock, but are appealing for help sourcing one final piece of equipment to get the job done.

With bridges destroyed, farmers are looking into ferrying animals over the Mangaone or Tutaekuri River on a trailer that’ll be pulled by a tractor, which will also be connected to a bulldozer.

Local sheep and beef farmer Patrick Crawshaw said it was important to get stock moving, as autumn was a crucial time of the year to reduce pressure on-farm.

There were some properties that would normally this time of year be sending about a thousand store lambs to the saleyards or other farms every fortnight, he said.

“There’s a fair bit of pressure starting to come on with the lack of control on-farm ... and so we’re eating and wasting probably a lot of feed that we normally would be alleviating at this time.”

Crawshaw said it was unclear when a bailey bridge would be in place to restore access for stock trucks, so they had decided to take matters into their own hands.

He said to get animals over the river they were trying to source a three-axel trailer they could load with stock crates and tow through the water.

“We’ve actually got two trucking companies over here with a truck and trailer unit... they can do internal loads in this area and ultimately be able to pull down to one of these river crossings.

“Then that trailer, spring break trailer, is going to be pulled by a tractor through the river and [stock will be] back loaded onto other trucks waiting on the other side.”

Crawshaw said there had been more rain over the weekend and it was safe or practical to walk stock, especially sheep, through the river.

“At the moment you just physically can’t put a put sheep in the water, to cross, without losing significant numbers.”

Once the system was up and running, they’d be hoping to shift stock twice a week, he said.

- RNZ