Monday, 14 November 2016 09:52

Generators scrambled to power milking

Written by Rural News Group

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Generators are being organised for dairy farmers in the upper South Island.

Generators are being organised for dairy farmers in the upper South Island so that they could milk cows, says Federated Farmers North Canterbury Dairy chairperson Michael Woodward.

He says farmers north of Culverden have been hit hard by the 7.5 earthquake and aftershocks.

Woodward told Rural News website that many farms were without power; there were also reports of rotary milking platforms damaged.

“We have been told herringbone milking sheds are okay; some rotary platforms were dislodged by the earthquake,” he says.

The biggest problems facing affected farmers are power supply and accessibility to farms.

“We are organising generators from farms in non-affected areas and making arrangements to send them to farmers,” Woodward says.

He says the hardest hit areas include Waiau, where damaged roads and bridges affect accessibility to farms; milk collection will be a problem.

“Road closures mean tankers will be going nowhere near some of the farms.”

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