increase font size
Dairy farmers in the Horizons Regional Council area have each spent an average $110,000 on environmental management in the past five years.
Federated Farmers Manawatu-Rangitikei provincial president James Stewart says the huge investment tells a really positive story about where we are heading environmentally and the buy in that is coming from the farmers.
"As people vote tomorrow I genuinely hope they will realise that farmers are doing a lot to farm more sustainably.
"It is very difficult to put a number on environmental spending, but we wanted to try, so we sent a survey out to all 918 dairy farms via the Horizons Regional Council. We were stunned by the response, not just the figures but how many people replied during their busiest time of year, calving season."
Of the 165 responses (18%), there was over $18 million spent by all manner of farmers from the small family farms to the bigger corporate farms.
"If you equated that to the 918 dairy farms in the region, we are looking at over $100 million spent by farmers on environmental protection, upgrades and sustainable practices in Horizons alone," says Stewart.
Breaking down the $18 million into effluent, riparian and other categories, 61% was spent on effluent management and upgrades; 9% on the initial instalment of riparian planting and fencing; and 30% on stock exclusion such as bridges, culverts and feed pads.
It's important to remember that riparian planting also requires ongoing management and maintenance, which represents further costs in future, says Stewart.
"Whichever way you look at it there are sizeable figures being invested into systems, which minimise the environmental impact of dairy farming.
"Our stand out performers, were the smaller husband and wife teams, in particular one couple spent $360,000 on effluent management and upgrades, an individual who spent $183,000 on building 30 culverts, a feed pad and a irrigation monitoring system, and another who spent $430,000 on riparian management, retiring 30 hectares of land and fencing off waterways.
"We are seeing the positive work of farmers, Horizons Regional Council and other entities is paying off, with the overall trend of our rivers stable to improving. We know we've got a long way to go, but it is nice to finally be able to say 'hey we're pulling our weight" with some proof.
"I'd like to thank and congratulate all the farmers who are doing their bit and making the positive changes happen. We are the caretakers of the land and your time, investment and care is acknowledged and appreciated."
OPINION: Recent media commentary from Southland Federated Farmers has raised concerns among our rural communities, particularly around Environment Southland’s approach to winter grazing inspections and nitrogen reporting. But let’s be clear, much of what’s been said simply doesn’t reflect reality.
OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.
A shameless political stunt is how Federated Farmers is describing the Canterbury Regional Council decision to declare “a nitrate emergency” on the back of its latest annual groundwater quality survey.
Federated Farmers say Environment Canterbury's decision to declare a 'nitrate emergency' is a shameless political stunt that won't help anyone.
Farmers want the Government to scrap controversial freshwater rules that "put river spirits and ideology ahead of practical water use", says Federated Farmers board member Mark Hooper.
Like many manufacturers around the world, European agricultural machinery and tractor manufacturers are currently operating in a difficult market environment. But they are heading to the world’s largest agricultural machinery event in Hanover next month with a degree of cautious optimism.
Established in 2021, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards champion the important contribution parts and service technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The ACT Party says media reports that global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance shows why New Zealand needs to rethink its approach to climate.
OPINION: Dairy industry players are also falling by the wayside as the economic downturn bites around the country.
OPINION: Methane Science Accord, a farmer-led organisation advocating for zero tax on ruminant methane, will be quietly celebrating its first…
