More than 600 bales have been donated to drought-stricken farmers in the Hawke’s Bay as they struggle through one of the worst droughts the region has seen in decades. A convoy of trucks made the journey to Hawke’s Bay to drop off some much-needed relief.
“It’s so good to be here with this fantastic contribution of feed that’s come all the way to the Hawke’s Bay from farmers right throughout the Wairarapa,” says David Todd of the Rural Support Trust in Hawke’s Bay.
“There were tears we’ll say, and from big truckies. There was tears, so it’s quite a big deal,” says Poppy Renton of the Hawke’s Bay Drought Facebook page.
From here, the feed will be distributed out to needy farmers through the rural support trust.
“It turned into over 600 bales, supplied over 100 farmers, and as of today there have been eight-unit loads of hay and baleage come up today,” says farmer Daniel Hansen.
“Four of the trucks are going to go to farms, and they’re going to drop half-a-load and then take the rest to a point and disperse it when it’s ready," says Renton.
For nearly eight months Hawke’s Bay has had well-below normal rainfall.
“This year it’s one out of the box, it’s dry right throughout the North Island and the South Island, in Hawke’s Bay in particular. Often we’ll get the rain that’ll break summer dries sometime during March and April, yet here we are mid-May still waiting for that,” says Todd.
Everything has been donated, including the trucking services, as they look out for their community.