Editorial: Farm salaries get a boost
OPINION: The recent Federated Farmers / Rabobank 2024 Farming Salaries Report revealed strong growth in farm salaries over the past two years.
The Government's recent announcement that it wants 90% of New Zealand’s lakes and rivers meeting swimmable water quality standards by 2040 has put the issue back into the limelight.
And when water quality becomes the focus, it’s the dairy sector that becomes the favourite punching bag of lobbyists.
Water quality has always been the big focus in NZ and most farmers are well aware of this.
And as Feds dairy president Andrew Hoggard puts it, “it is vitally important every farmer is doing the basics well here –waterways fenced and effluent well managed.” Going beyond that, it’s being aware and understanding what is the state of your local waterways, and what you could do about improving or safeguarding them.
One clear goal he says the industry and individual farmers should have is total prevention of harmful levels of faecal contaminants entering waterways. Most dairy farms are likely already very close to that, but it shouldn’t be a goal only for dairy farmers but for all.
Have we got our priorities right?
What we are concerned about in NZ environment-wise isn’t necessarily what the rest of the world is so concerned about.
Overseas more emphasis is placed on climate change and biodiversity. So dairy farmers here need to think what this might mean for the future.
Another issue hitting farmers is animal welfare.
Hoggard points out that despite the noise, we have a world leading regulatory framework. However, as competition gets tougher, when we trumpet our free range, pasture fed status, expect to get questions about shade and shelter, he says.
Then there is worldwide concern about antimicrobial resistance; greater emphasis will fall on the proper use of antibiotics in farming and, again, NZ is world leading in low use of antibiotics.
However, our customers won’t want to know just what the averages are, they will want to see best practice on all farms they buy from. Best practice means correctly identifying the illness, and treating with the appropriate drugs, and that critically important antibiotics are used only where first line treatments are not sufficient.
Hoggard questions whether every person onfarm in NZ, making treatment decisions on livestock, is well enough trained, formally or informally, about treatment choices; in the future that is likely going to need to change.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has informed staff it will cut 391 jobs following a consultation period.
New Zealand farmers are committed to making their businesses more resilient to climate change and are embracing innovation to help them do so.
Atiamuri farmers Paul and Lesley Grey never gave up their dream of owning their own farm – and in 2020, that dream came true.
OPINION: Scientists claim to have found a new way to make a substitute for cow's milk that could have a…
OPINION: The Irish have come up with a novel way to measure cow belching, which is said to account for…