Sensible Choices About Water
OPINION: Rivers never sit still. They start as snowmelt and rain in the high country, pick up a creek here and a stream there, and carry all of it down to where it's needed.
There is a limit to what farmers can do to improve security on their farms, says Federated Farmers Dairy chairman Andrew Hoggard.
His comments follow the publicity surrounding the news of a 1080 threat to infant milk formula. At a news conference it was suggested farmers should secure their milk supply.
But Hoggard points out that farmers need to keep their sheds and facilities open at all times for tankers to collect their milk. Beyond installing a security camera they can do little more, he says.
“In the modern cowshed there is quite a bit of technology and kit but we have to leave everything open for tankers,” he told Dairy News.
“More and more farmers are installing security. I have tried a number of different cameras including game trail ones. The worry I have with those is that the criminal could quite easily steal it and I’d never know who the criminal was.”
Hoggard has a camera connected to his computer providing pictures of anyone entering his cow shed. Plenty of equipment is being stolen from cows sheds, an ongoing problem, he says. – Peter Burke
National’s pledge to introduce 19 new national standards shows the party is serious about getting Wellington out of farming, Federated Farmers says.
The National Party’s policies to make it easier to grow fresh vegetables, secure reliable water and energy and simplify farm planning are practical changes that will give growers the confidence to invest, according to Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ).
Fonterra Co-operative Group chief financial officer Andrew Murray has resigned to take up a role outside the dairy giant.
A major move is about to get underway to improve the quality and viability of dairy beef and cattle in NZ.
Veterinarians say changes to the code of welfare for dairy cattle provides a positive foundation for improved cattle welfare across the country.
Today, 15 October, is the International Day of Rural Women, which recognises rural women’s contribution to farming, communities and the environment.