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Federated Farmers board member Richard McIntyre.
Federated Farmers board member and Horowhenua dairy farmer, Richard McIntyre says it’s one of the driest summers his region has experienced for some time.
He says while it’s not time to call it drought, the grass is not growing much at present. He says it’s the same in other parts of the country including the Wairarapa.
But despite the imponderable weather, McIntyre says farmers are more optimistic now than they were.
“The GDT going upwards has helped and the news of another increase in the milk price has reduced some of the stress that dairy farmers have been under and there is wave of optimism that things will get better,” he says.
McIntyre says one of the reasons that farmers have been stressed is their concern over government regulation from the previous administration.
He says famers felt they were bashing their heads against a brick wall trying to get Labour to listen. Farmers, he says, are looking for sensible and cost-effective solutions and are hopeful the new government will deliver on the promises they have made and fix things.
McIntyre says while dairy farmers aren’t facing the challenges that their sheep and beef colleagues are going through, he says some dairy farmers are struggling to make ends meet with the high input costs and higher interest rates.
“A lot of promises have been made but we now need to see some appropriate action to set things right,” he says.
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Federated Farmers says the final report into banking competition is a significant step forward for rural New Zealand - and a vindication of the farming sector's concern.
Farmer lobby group Federated Farmers has announced it is supporting a new Member’s Bill which it says could bring clarity to New Zealand farmers and save millions in legal costs.
Federated Farmers says climate protest group Greenpeace is manufacturing outrage and attempting to scare New Zealanders with headlines that have no basis in science.
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NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
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The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
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