A rollercoaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
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While debate continues to swirl around environmental issues and dairy farming, Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean says farmers were not the only ones contributing to the country's water quality issues.
"I do get concerned that dairy farmers in particular get labeled as polluters, when there are a raft of other factors affecting water quality, including business waste, urban and rural discharges and sewerage disposal," she says.
"We need to take the water quality issue seriously, but we need good scientific data to do so. Regional council rushing to make policy decisions, without the facts, will not be good for this country.
"I believe farmers, as caretakers of their land, are taking the water quality issue seriously. There has been some fantastic work undertaken around the country in regard to effluent disposal and nutrient management.
"This season Fonterra has introduced a Supply Fonterra Nitrogen Management Programme, with the key goal of providing farmers with reliable information about their farm's nitrogen use, and to support farmers with improving nitrogen management and water quality over time.
"DairyNZ has also invested a great deal in educational programmes and support for dairy farmers, while farmers in places like Otago and Southland have invested heavily upgrading their effluent storage facilities.
"Water quality is crucial to this country's future – we have to get it right. But we also have to ensure that we do the research and come up with effective solutions which don't penalise a particular sector."
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