Eastern Bay of Plenty farmers are counting the cost and cursing the timing of heavy rain over the weekend, which caught many in the middle of calving.

Farms in and around Whakatane were hardest hit, with 200mm of rain falling over the weekend, and floods and slips still affecting many.

Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty President and Te Puke farmer John Scrimgeour says many locals have had already low feed stocks decimated.

“The need is there for a bit of extra feed for a number of farmers.

"It comes after such a long difficult summer and autumn last year, and now, to have land flooded when feed was already short – it just makes it extra difficult.

"There has been a lot of land flooded and roads closed, there’ll be a lot of repair work, it’s just a matter or letting the water go down and seeing just how bad the situation really is.”