fbpx
Print this page
Wednesday, 01 May 2024 11:57

Wrongheaded

Written by  Milking It

OPINION: Food security is a sore point in the UK, as a direct result of its National Food Strategy, and there’s a lesson in this for other food producing nations like NZ: government meddling in farming is a very bad idea!

To farm in the UK you need a special barn just to store all the paperwork in.

The Strategy turned the red tape up a notch, rewiring the entire food production system, essentially to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Farmers are paid incentives to take land out of production, reduce livestock numbers and plant non-food carbon-fixing crops.

The result is a massive drop in food production in the UK, driving up food prices and reducing food security.

So it was a relief to hear NZ’s unworkable winter grazing rules have been axed.

More like this

Science fiction

OPINION: Last week's announcement of Prime Minister’s new Science and Technology Advisory Council hasn’t gone down too well in the science community.

Bye bye Paris?

OPINION: At its recent annual general meeting, Federated Farmers’ Auckland province called for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

What's going on?

OPINION: On the 2nd of May, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced that the 'government remains on track to ban full farm-to-forestry conversion'.

Cows down

OPINION: It's not happening as fast as the greenies would like - they actually want all livestock other than Muscovy ducks and Tibetan Llamas to disappear entirely - but it is happening.

Less hot air

OPINION: Farmers won't get any credit for this from the daily media, so Milking It is giving the bouquets where they’re due.

Featured

NZEI unhappy with funding cut for teachers

Education union NZEI Te Riu Roa says that while educators will support the Government’s investment in learning support, they’re likely to be disappointed that it has been paid for by defunding expert teachers.

EU regulations unfairly threaten $200m exports

A European Union regulation ensuring that the products its citizens consume do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation worldwide threatens $200m of New Zealand beef and leather exports.

Bionic Plus back on vet clinic shelves

A long-acting, controlled- release capsule designed to protect ewes from internal parasites during the lambing period is back on the market following a comprehensive reassessment.

National

Top ag scientist to advise PM

A highly experienced agricultural scientist with specialist knowledge of the dairy sector is the Prime Minister's new Chief Science Advisor.

Machinery & Products

Hose runner saves time and effort

Rakaia-based equipment manufacturer Pluck’s Engineering will soon start production of a new machine designed to simplify the deployment and retrieval…