Parting shot?
OPINION: Environment Minister David Parker, likely in the final weeks of the job, remains hell-bent on burning bridges with farmers.
Another nationwide protest by farmers will be held on August 16 unless the Government listens to their concerns.
This was announced at the Groundswell protest in Morrinsville where over 2500 people backed by 250 tractors and 100 utes took part in a rally.
There were calls for the Government to review its policies around farming, especially those related to sustainability and water. Tradies are also unhappy with getting hammered with a clean car tax on utes, vehicles considered an integral part of their job.
A sign from the protest in Timaru. |
Waikato farmer Andrew McGiven was one of the speakers at the Morrinsville rally.
He says the country and farming folks are fed up with Wellington imposing badly thought out policies on them.
The nationwide protest saw thousands of tractors, utes and other farm vehicles driven through main towns.
In Levin, about 50 tractors and over 200 vehicles took part.
Henry Bennick from Taihape with his dogs at the Levin Protest. |
Taupo also reported a huge procession of tractors, utes and cars.
In Auckland about 200 tractors drove up the Southern Motorway to the city centre. Some tractors were not allowed into the city centre and ended up at the Ellerslie Events Centre.
There have been leadership changes at the Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, which has been struggling financially in recent years.
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.
Making things simpler, not harder, for deer farmers in farm planning and coping with regulations is Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) industry capability manager John Ladley’s current focus.
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