New Federated Farmers meat and wool chair praises predecessor
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Admit that you stuffed up and apologise to the people of Wairoa.
That's the message from Federated Farmers president for Wairoa and Gisborne, Charlie Reynolds, to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council (HBRC) for not opening the bar at the river mouth which led to many residents in the township being flooded out.
Reynolds says while the recent flood affected mainly the township of Wairoa, there were problems for farmers. He says the local Affco freezing works ran low on water supplies for a time, which meant they could not operate at full capacity.
He says he's heard from farmers who had their processing dates rescheduled. "Answers need to be had quickly from HBRC and I don't mean sitting down and having a review and getting another group of people to sit down and eat sausage rolls. There needs to be an admission from the chair of HBRC that they stuffed up and caused the flooding," he says.
Reynolds believes part of the problem for Wairoa is that the HBRC is not based in the town and that it tends to focus on issues in the greater Napier and Hastings area. He says, for Wairoa farmers, the recent rains affect morale. He says one day they repair a fence and two days later it's washed away.
From what he's heard, some Wairoa farmers have suffered washouts and he also points to the fact that the Tiniroto road - the inland route that links Wairoa to Gisborne - has been out for much of the past year and the alternative route he describes as "not very nice".
While Wairoa farmers appear to have dodged a bullet with the recent rains, those around Gisborne, especially those on and around SH2 between Gisborne and Opotiki, have been badly affected.
Reynolds, who lives in that area, says the recent storm was worse for many farmers there than it was when Cyclone Gabrielle struck. He says access to some farms has been cut and infrastructure on these farms damaged.
He says he's got a personal beef with the Gisborne District Council over the clearance of logs from the Waimata River. He claims the logs were dragged out of the river and stacked on the banks. "But when the recent rains came, the logs got washed back into the river again and have ended up on local beaches," he says.
Overall, Reynolds says he's very pleased with the way the Government has responded to the plight in Wairoa. He says they acted quickly and provided much needed financial assistance and have tried to get answers from HBRC as to why the mouth of the Wairoa River was not cut in time to avoid the disaster that eventuated.
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being encouraged to cast their votes in the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board directors' election.
A unique discovery by a Palmerston North science company, Biolumic, looks set to revolutionise the value and potential of ryegrass and the secret is the application of ultraviolet (UV) light.
A New Zealand company is redefining the global collagen game by turning New Zealand sheepskin into a world-class health product.
With further extreme weather on the way, ANZ Bank is encouraging farmers and business owners impacted by the recent extreme weather and flooding to seek support if they need it.
New Zealand must continue to educate Chinese consumers about the unique qualities of its red meat products and how they differ from competitors, says Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dan Boulton.
There are opportunities outside the farmgate for young farmers to further develop their skills, says 2025 Primary Industries Emerging Leader Award winner Bridie Virbickas.
OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the…
OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left…