Farmers Have Two Weeks To Apply For Drought Relief Fund
The Hawke’s
Bay Rural Advisory Group is encouraging farmers to apply for
the drought relief fund before it closes on September 30
this year. Lochie MacGillivray, co-chair of the Rural
Advisory Group, says the fund was set up in response to one
of the most complicated and prolonged droughts in living
memory and to support the cost of transporting feed to
farms. “For those farmers who haven’t applied for
the fund, now is the time to get a transport grant as it
will be closing in two weeks,” he said. Farmers are
eligible for a one off grant of $1,000 for properties
between 20 and 150 hectares, and $3,000 for properties
greater than 150 hectares. People can claim funding
from March 12 this year when the Ministry for Primary
Industries declared the drought an adverse
event. Farmers can also claim for funding assistance
if they transported stock to properties outside of Hawke’s
Bay for grazing purposes and then back on farm, and the cost
of transport to a Hawke's Bay depot will be covered for
farmers who have received donated feed. There is
$233,000 remaining in the fund. If farmers have already
applied for the fund, they can’t apply again. The
fund secured $1 million from the Ministry for Primary
Industries, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Central
Hawke’s Bay District Council, Centralines, and Hastings
District Council. A Give a Little campaign raised
$15,000. To apply for the fund, go to the Hawke’s
Bay Regional Council website and search
#droughtrelief. Find
out
more