4 Apr 2012

Farmers sodden

1:33 pm on 4 April 2012

Farmers in northern Hawke's Bay and Gisborne are struggling with slips and flooding.

Up to 180mm has fallen in some parts of the region, and MetService says more heavy rain is expected for the next three days.

Federated Farmers president Bruce Wills says soil was already sodden before the rains began.

Low lying farms are disappearing underwater, while hill country farmers are expecting to lose pasture to slipping.

He says shearing and fertiliser spreading has already been delayed by wet weather and farmers will struggle to make up the time after this week's deluge.