Last month parts of New Zealand were devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle, while some growers suffered no or minor damage, others saw their entire livelihoods destroyed overnight. Apple growers in Hawke's Bay had just started the apple harvest when the cyclone hit the area.

So where do these growers start when it come to clearing up and rebuilding their lives?  

Kurt Livingston from Fern Ridge Fresh an apple grower in Hawke's Bay posted on LinkedIn:

Thick layers of silt have completely covered some of our regions orchards...Rows of trees have toppled over and snapped…Fruit is lining residential streets some distance away from orchards.

The sight of apple bins floating in rivers and cars and caravans scattered through orchard blocks is no longer surprising and surface flooding continues to linger in orchards.

While some orchards have been left relatively unscathed and are cracking into harvest, others have an extremely tough road ahead.

Hawke's Bay Fruit Growers' Association has set up a relief fund to help with the growers immediate needs and wellbeing initiatives for the journey ahead.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com