Reports coming in from the rural areas around Christchurch are showing Canterbury’s farmland has escaped the disaster relatively unscathed.

By far, the worst damage and destruction has been felt in the central city and suburbs of Christchurch, and the areas to the South and East, Lyttleton and Banks Peninsula.

Rescue efforts in town continued through a second night, as hundreds of international volunteers arrive to help in the search and rescue work.

For more on the situation in Christchurch itself, both national TV networks have ongoing news coverage going throughout the day.

In the rural areas, though, information coming in suggests an incredible escape from those devastating effects felt in the city.

Rural Support Trust Co-ordinator Allan Baird says there have been reports of damage to pasture and farm buildings, but these are mostly minor.

"At this point in time we put our feelers out and there doesn’t seem to be much damage to the rural area.

"All the concentration was on Christchurch.

"We intend to make some more inquiries but the reports we’ve had in so far is that the rural situation has been very little affect to it."

Federated Farmers says it is organising accommodation and help for people in the city suburbs whose homes and businesses have been damaged.

Earthquake recovery organiser John Hartnell says when Tuesday’s quake struck, he thought they were in for a repeat of Septembers devastation on farms.

"We're right in the middle of the grain harvest again, so yeah it gave us a few flashbacks.

"We've been really fortunate, we haven't had any reports of silos down or any damage.

"It shows those shockwaves weren't directed out towards the rural community to the same degree as hey were directed into Christchurch."

Mr Hartnell says most of the reported damage coming in from farmers is related to liquefaction, although again, this wasn’t as bad as everyone expected.

"The paddocks weren't heavily affected,last time there was aout a hundred hectares of water sitting there.

"There was no sign of anything like that, but there were still some sandcastles popping up here and there but nothing like September."

In September’s quake hundreds of tonnes of grain was spilled after extensive silo damage, representing the livelihood of dozens of farmers.

Murray Rowlands, Federated Farmers Grain and Seed Chairman says this time around they haven’t had one report of damage, but things could change. 

Fed Farmers is urging anyone with suspected silo or pasture damage to contact the Federation on 0800 FARMING (0800 327 646).