Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Farmers and growers should know how they go about accessing a multimillion-dollar support package by the end of the day.
The government has come up with an initial $50 million to support industries, including horticulture and viticulture, affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning, Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor said details on how people could access the funding were imminent.
"Look, we'll be announcing that hopefully by the end of the day but we've got to make sure whatever we set up is pragmatic and workable.
"Some people, of course, aren't in a situation where they have all their systems in place so they have to be able to access this with the limited resources they have."
On Monday the government said it would be using existing agencies - like business associations and the Ministry for Primary Industries - to disseminate the financial support.
O'Connor said forestry companies were not covered by the $50m package but "may need some help" to restore infrastructure in future.
On how much support farmers and growers need, he said the cost of even the initial clean up was "impossible to calculate" right now.
"Someone rang up and said 'well you just replant it and regrass it' but actually, as I say, the infrastructure that's buried there will complicate whatever work occurs on that land for a long time until we've cleaned it up. So a lot still to happen there, a lot of calculations to be made."
There have been widespread livestock losses in areas hit by flooding.
O'Connor said he had heard a "top end" estimate of 40,000 animals lost and was mindful of the stress being felt across the primary sector.
"The most reliable way forward on that is talking to your neighbours. Some of them haven't been able to get out to services, mental health professionals haven't been able to get in and some of the rural support trusts have been struggling.
"So helping one another, firstly within families and then across the fence, is really, really important. Some of them would have seen some of this but not quite to the same extent."
O'Connor said he had been having conversations with several ministers about how to best reduce the harm done by forestry slash in flooding events.
"Look, the slash issue's been around for a while. We've seen it be a factor in a number of storms and events. We're looking at that very carefully but it's a long-term project that is to make sure that forest practice improves so that we don't see the slash go down in events like this. If they are going to happen, we've got to try and reduce the impacts."
O'Connor said a "feed recovery system" had been set up through the Ministry for Primary Industries to get feed to stock in the areas that needed it most.
"So it's a coordination of that feed to make sure it gets to the most acute farmers and those in need first and foremost. That's quite complex and getting out and talking to those farmers has been challenging."
Farmers and growers can contact the Feed Coordination Service on 0800 FARMING (0800 3227 646), or register online for grazing needed, grazing available, feed needed or feed available.
