Representatives from Gisborne-Wairoa Federated Farmers have met with the Agriculture Minister David Carter to discuss the drought in the region.
Mr Carter says East Coast farmers are bearing the brunt of three years of extreme weather, and while rain is forecast this week, it will not be enough to alleviate the dry conditions.
He has agreed to tax assistance and funding for farm management advice for sheep and cattle farmers, whom he says have suffered from three years of extreme weather.
The Federation's Meat and Fibre Chairman, Wayne Gault, says farmers face a tough situation with soil moisture deficit and a lack of feed.
Wayne Gault says some farmers have had to sell off breeding stock because they don't have enough grass to feed them through the winter.
