Damien O’Connor: NZ united on global trade
When it comes to international trade, politicians from all sides of the aisle are united, says Labour's trade spokesman Damien O'Connor.
The Government is making $200,000 available to the local Rural Support Trust to help West Coast farmers and growers recover from these latest floods.
Rural Communities Minister Damien O'Connor says the funding will help speed up the recovery of farming businesses. It includes wellbeing support and specialist technical advice and enables the use of Enhanced Taskforce Green workers should they be required to help.
"The funding will help farmers and growers across Buller, Grey and Westland districts along with Nelson/Tasman and Marlborough districts, many of whom are facing a huge clean-up after the wettest February on record triggered widespread flooding. Floodwaters caused by two severe weather events in the space of a week damaged infrastructure, farm buildings, and paddocks, left feed crops submerged and washed away bales of winter supplementary feed," he says.
O'Connor says MPI along with government will continue to assess whether further support is needed as the full extent of the flood damage becomes more apparent over the coming weeks.
He says farmers needing help to manage feed shortages are encouraged to contact their levy body, such as DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, or Federated Farmers. He says those needing support around dealing with floods are encouraged to visit the MPI Website.
According to the latest Federated Farmers banking survey, farmers are more satisfied with their bank and less under pressure, however, the sector is well short of confidence levels seen last decade.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.