RNZ: Fencing for Tasman's 'bruised, battered', flood-hit farmers

Tasman district farmers hit by recent floods are trying to piece their riverside farms back together, after losing land, livestock, bridges and key fencing infrastructure.

A string of flooding events through late June and July resulted in widespread damage to roads, properties and farms - especially for those near major rivers, some of which burst their banks.

Federated Farmers' Nelson president Kerry Irvine said there were a number of properties that were badly affected, and the situation had taken its toll on farmers.

"There's still a lot of bruised and battered farmers out there; a lot of farms that still haven't really had a lot of work done to them, certainly regarding waterways," he said.

"Most people don't really have money to spend on putting their capital back together on the farms, really."

Irvine said there were many farmers who lost between 2-10 kilometres of fencing, and one up to 15 kilometres worth, that were ripped away by the floods.

"It's literally all gone. Certainly fencing that's around any waterways it's not even existent anymore, it's just flattened or sitting out in the middle of the Tasman Bay somewhere.

"And then, you've got to weigh up the odds, 'do I fence it?' 'Don't I fence it?' 'Or do I even change the the class of stock that I'm running?'