Fonterra's Regional Head of Farm Source for Canterbury, Tasman and Marlborough, Charles Fergusson says it has been a big week for the region.
Fergusson spoke to The Country Early Edition's Rowena Duncum about how some areas are still recovering from the effects of Cyclone Gita, "It's been tough in Golden Bay."
Fonterra had to get creative to pick up milk from Takaka due to road closures and Fergusson reports the whole of Golden Bay was cut off.
"When you're picking up milk every day and processing it - you need a lot of tanker movements, and very quickly our team in the Bay organised a barge and we were barging tankers in and out every day."
Fergusson says the barges worked on other levels as they gave the community something to focus on, and also allowed Fonterra to work with Civil Defence and local businesses to get food, fuel and essential supplies into Takaka.
