Top farm consultant predicts early end to Waikato dairy season
A leading farm consultant says it's likely the dairy season in the Waikato will come to a premature end because of the drought.
Hawke's Bay vet Richard Hilson says the effects of the lockdown with COVID-19 tended to isolate farmers more than people might have imagined.
He says towards the end of Alert Level 4, farmers needed to talk to people – their neighbours and others. He believes many felt they were being backed into a corner, on their own, having to deal with the drought.
Vets, says Hilson, were in a unique position to help farmers in this respect. He says when a vet goes on a farm they usually work with a farmer, unlike someone who comes on to fix a machine. He says vets are people that farmers more likely form a relationship with, chew the fat and have a laugh.
“But right now, half the time it’s talking about animal health and the other half, human health. As a vet you are aware of what other people are going through,” Hilson told Rural News.
“At our staff meeting, I made the point that if people come into the shop and they want to talk to you, please stay with them – don’t fob anyone off – we don’t mind if you spend time with them.
One of my staff said a guy who rang up the other day is someone she would normally only have a 30 second conversation with, but says he was still on the phone after 30 minutes. I said: ‘good on you – you have made his day’. It just goes to show how bad it really is out there,” he says.
Hilson says as well as the drought and COVID, farmers are having to deal with M. bovis and, in parts of the region, an outbreak of TB.
He says the Government has put unnecessary pressure on farmers demanding they apply for consents for the Tukituki catchment scheme. Federated Farmers have already asked Environment Minister David Parker to give them more time to apply for consents because of the drought and COVID, but he has refused.
Hilson says the Government attitude stuns him and warns that stressing farmers like this could have fatal consequences.
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A global trade war beckons, which is bad news for a small open economy like New Zealand, warns Mark Smith ASB senior economist.
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Fonterra says the US continues to be an important market for New Zealand dairy and the co-op.
Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand's trade interests are best served in a world where trade flows freely.
New Zealand's red meat sector says it is disappointed by the United States' decision to impose tariffs on New Zealand exports.