Dry weather classification expands to North Island
The dry weather in some parts of the North Island has received medium-scale adverse event classification from the Government.
Following a meeting between farmer representatives and environment and ag ministers, Environment Southland will be setting up a local advisory group for freshwater rules.
The group will be set up to feed information into another group charged with implementing the new rules, says Environment Southland (ES) chairman Nicol Horrell.
Before the main meeting, Horrell and staff from ES met with David Parker to talk through the council’s role, which is to implement the new rules.
Horrell agrees with Federated Farmers that some of the new rules are simply unworkable in Southland, but believes that the Government will not take the Feds’ advice to completely re-write the legislation.
“The political reality is that it’s not going to be possible because it would be politically embarrassing,” he told Rural News. “So the best option will be for us to get tweaks made to the rules. In some cases a few word changes could make all the difference.”
Horrell says he’s never seen such prescriptive legislation before.
“Normally you get some high level objectives and then there is room for a bit of local flavour, but with this legislation there is little wriggle room.”
Horrell believe one solution is quality farm environment plans that are audited and become something that farmers use as management tool on a daily basis.
He is hopeful that the new advisory group, which will include DairyNZ, Beef+Lamb NZ, Federated Farmers and rural professionals, will be able to come up with solutions that can be put to MfE and the minister and will bring about sensible changes.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
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