Leah Prankerd: A passion for dairying and farmer support
It was love that first led Leah Prankerd to dairying.
DairyNZ says farmers will be appalled to hear that a kindergarten was impacted by poor winter grazing practices in Southland.
“This is something all dairy farmers would be appalled to hear has taken place,’ says DairyNZ strategy and investment leader, Dr Jenny Jago.
“There is no excuse for a farmer not being able to prevent this and it is distressing to hear that the poor performance of a farmer has impacted on a community facility and children. It’s not good enough and we fully empathise with the community concerned,”
“We don’t accept poor winter grazing practices and much work has been taking place to address the issue to protect animal welfare and the environment. Impacting on community facilities is another issue altogether and clearly unacceptable.”
Environment Southland chief executive Rob Phillips says this week its compliance team was called to an incident where winter grazing runoff affected the Longbush Kindergarten, forcing it to close. A clean-up has been undertaken.
“Our staff have been out to the kindergarten and, although there is no evidence of waterway contamination, mud and sediment has washed through the grounds of the facility from an adjoining paddock.
“We are working with the kindergarten and the farm manager to resolve the situation and a full investigation is underway. An abatement notice has been issued to ensure the farmer stops the runoff onto the property immediately.”
Phillips says farmers need to understand that they must use good management practice for all winter grazing, including using portable water troughs and back fences to prevent cows going back into already grazed areas, as well as carefully managing critical source areas.
“It is simply unacceptable for runoff to impact on neighbours or waterways and it is the farmers’ responsibility to ensure this does not happen.”
Jago says DairyNZ has been clear with farmers that poor performance around winter grazing is not good enough – farmers who aren’t lifting their game really need to take heed of this and give greater thought to practices on their farms and follow good practice.
“We understand this is being treated as a compliance issue by Environment Southland and that they are working with the farmer.
“While much work has been taking place to address poor winter grazing practices and the farming sector feels progress has been made, there is clearly still work to be done, particularly for some.
“The vast majority of farmers take great pride in caring for their animals and the environment.”
Advice and information is available for all farmers via dairynz.co.nz/wintering or ph 0800 324 7969
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
OPINION: Voting is underway for Fonterra’s divestment proposal, with shareholders deciding whether or not sell its consumer brands business.
OPINION: Politicians and Wellington bureaucrats should take a leaf out of the book of Canterbury District Police Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.