Flood waters are beginning to recede on Tasman and Marlborough farms, giving farmers an idea of the amount of damage to their properties.
Flooding on Koromiko farm on highway between Picton and Blenheim. File photo. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
Some farms were left completely underwater and cut off after torrential rain late last week.
The Rai Valley in Marlborough was particularly hard hit when over 1 metre of rain fell in just four days.
The region's Federated Farmers president Scott Adams said they had had some better weather over the last couple of days which allowed the clean up to begin.
"The biggest things are fencing and infrastructure damage," he said.
"Especially up the Rai Valley way, laneways to the dairy shed and some dairy sheds have had water through them, and silting from the water.
"With the water just sitting, it's not doing the pasture any benefit either, it's starting to discolour and it will die if it doesn't get some oxygen shortly."
Some farmers were starting to get some of their paddocks back as the floodwaters recede, boosting morale and giving them more space to work with, Adams said.
Meanwhile, about 40 farms in Golden Bay were still not accessible for milk collection.
Fonterra Canterbury Tasman Marlborough regional head Charles Fergusson said tankers got to seven or eight farms on the main road between Renwick and Rai Valley yesterday and tankers should reach most farmers in the Rai Valley and Canvastown area from today.
"But there are still close to 40 farms in the Collingwood area that will likely remain cut-off for a bit longer.
"We're doing everything we can to ensure we can safely collect all the milk in the area and continue to keep in close contact with Waka Kotahi."
Fonterra staff were on the ground supporting local community response efforts where possible, and the Fonterra Emergency Response Team (ERT) arrived yesterday to provide additional support, he said.
"Our ERT is a group of specialists who train every month, picking up medical and mechanical skills along with management of emergency situations.
"Their initial focus is on assessing the area and prioritising farms for assistance. In situations like this, the team is typically focussed on clearing and fixing fences and picking debris out of paddocks when the waters have receded."