A plan for a large shipment of stock feed from Canterbury to Hawke's Bay has been abandoned, because none of the ships that would be available, are equipped with the fire fighting equipment needed to carry bulk straw.
However, smaller shipments are continuing with the latest being loaded on Monday in Lyttelton.
Federated Farmers and the East Coast Rural Support Trust have been working to organise a bulk shipment of feed from Canterbury, after an initial offer of shipping space by the Ravensdown fertiliser company had to be declined.
A Federated Farmers grain representative David Clark said that despite the best efforts of everyone, they can't continue with that particular plan.
However, Pacifica Shipping, which has been carrying feed to Tauranga fo the past four weeks, is loading another 20 containers this week.
Mr Clark acknowledged the help of the New Zealand Express transport company which has been packing the straw into containers and taking to them to the port.
