Source: Radio New Zealand
Flooding near Kerikeri in March 2026. RNZ/Tim Collins
Northland farmers are still grappling with the fallout of last month’s flooding as they prepare for an incoming cyclone.
Cyclone Vaianu is forecast by MetService to reach Northland late on Saturday night then spread across the rest of the island.
Rural Support Te Tai Tokerau has been doing what it describes as “rapid rural assessments”, including checking in on farmers and offering support.
Chair Michelle Ruddell said the main areas of concern were from Kaitaia through to the Hikurangi swamp, just north of Whangārei.
“There’s a lot of silt, a lot of woody debris accumulating, fencing damage, culverts washed out, newly sown grass paddocks under water, maize crops not being able to get harvested – the list goes on, unfortunately.”
Ruddell said stock water and feed had also been affected in some areas, while kumara growers were feeling the pinch.
“There are quite a number of stressed growers in Dargaville around the weather, they haven’t really had a great season since [Cyclone] Gabrielle, so we are looking at year-on-year impacts here.”
She said the cumulative effects obviously affected people’s wellbeing, and the importance of rural communities staying connected and supporting each other.
Kaitāia flooding after heavy rain, March 2026. Supplied FNDC via LDR
And while the fuel industry was indicating there would be some relief at the petrol pump over the next week, in the meantime Ruddell said farmers were facing the added pressure of bigger clean-up costs.
“We still have got farmers up here that have got maize to harvest, but you need heavy machinery for that. We’ve got grass that needs resowing and planting, but [again] you need heavy machinery to do that.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
