Grain and dairy farmers are the hardest hit by the Canterbury earthquake. Collapsed silos have put thousands of tonnes of milling wheat at risk.

And on dairy farms, a loss of power and damage to sheds meant some cows were not milked, or had to be milked at neighbouring sheds.

Federated Farmers says 40 silos in the area have been damaged. North Canterbury grain chair Murray Rowlands, who farms at Darfield, says they have been trying to move the grain to storage vats to stop the crop from being ruined by the rain or contaminated.

“All our harvest is in the silo," said Mr. Rowland, "but in some cases the entire silo has collapsed, and their whole year’s income is spread out on the ground. The weather is closing in at the moment and we’ve gotta make sure we can get it all picked up – if the rain spoils it, there’ll be a lot of farmers in dire straits.”