7.5 magnitude New Zealand's South Island North Canterbury earthquake strands cows in landslides North Canterbury earthquake strands cows in landslides
A number of cows have been spotted stranded by landslides on the coast north of Kaikoura, following Monday's 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
The quake hit around midnight near Culverden, causing extensive damage to property, closing businesses and transport links and killing two people.
It could also be a season-ender for dairy farmers, who have already had to deal with drought conditions for years.
Federated Farmers' north Canterbury dairy spokesman Michael Woodward says milking sheds from the epicentre right up to Kaikoura have been damaged, with farmers unable to milk at all.
Those without power are choosing not to use back-up generators that run on water, because they need to conserve it for their stock.
Slips have also cut off tanker access to farms, meaning milk will be dumped because it can't be held in a vat for more than 24 hours.
Fonterra says disruption is expected to milk collection due to road closures at the top of the South Island.
It estimates around 30 farms in Kaikoura will not have their milk collected, and others around the country may have their collections delayed as tankers are rerouted.
"We're doing our best to reach everyone who is due for collection immediately," says Fonterra's farm source chief operating officer Miles Hurrell.
"With power out and phone lines down in some area, that includes putting Farm Source teams on the road to go door-to-door to try to update those farmers with the latest information."
Most of Fonterra's manufacturing sites are processing milk as usual today.
The quake could have a flow-on effect for next year, says Mr Woodward, as it's the middle of mating season.
Technicians need to travel between farms to artificially inseminate the cows and if they can't, it could jeopardise next season.
"Although it's not affecting the cows in a major way, it is decreasing the amount of milk produced per cow for the season," he says.Two cows and a calf have been filmed stranded on what remains of their paddock – a small "island" of grass that drops away into steep cliffs – following a 7.5 magnitude earthquake that rocked New Zealand's South Island.
The stranded cattle were filmed north of Kaikoura today, after the quake struck this morning, Newshub reports.
The deadly quake hit just after midnight local time (10pm AEDT), killing two people and damaging roads and buildings.
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One man was killed when his family's homestead in Kaikoura collapsed.
Kaikoura, which is on the east coast of the South Island, was particularly hard hit by the quake. Road access to the town is blocked and helicopters have been called in to assist in the search for victims.
