Rewarding farmers who embrace sustainability
Winners of DairyNZ’s Sustainability and Stewardship awards in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards have their eyes firmly fixed on progressing a positive future for New Zealand dairy.
Dairy farmers are seemingly more upbeat than they were three months ago but how long this positivity remains seems to depend on what the new Government does in the coming months.
So says Sarah Speight, DairyNZ's general manager of farm performance. She says the election of the new Government is playing a big part in the positive mood of farmers, along with the stabilisation of world dairy prices. But at the same time, she says farmers are particularly worried about the way that the new freshwater regulations are being implemented by regional councils around the country.
She says the limit setting process that is coming through from councils is a big worry - especially in places such as Southland, Canterbury, Manawatū, and Waikato.
"Some of these things are unworkable for farmers. There is a real hope that the incoming Government with its strong agricultural understanding around the caucus table will help with that and sort it out. But while farmers are positive they are wary about how much the new Government can get done in a reasonable timeframe," she says.
Speight says she's not sure that some of the councils know what the limit settings are going to mean for farmers and that is a worry. She says Northland, Southland and Otago are high on the radar for DairyNZ.
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A five-year randomised survey of herbicide resistance on New Zealand arable farms has found widespread high levels of resistance - with 71% of farms affected in the worst-hit region - South Canterbury.
OPINION: The recent Federated Farmers / Rabobank 2024 Farming Salaries Report revealed strong growth in farm salaries over the past two years.
The low unemployment environment is one of the key factors driving on-farm salaries higher over the past 24 months, says Rabobank general manager for country banking Bruce Weir.
Fonterra has appointed a new chief financial officer, seven months after its last CFO’s shock resignation.
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OPINION: It seems every bugger in this country can get an award these days.