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It's about land management, not the number of cows.
Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Andrew Curtis believes there will always be a place for dairy.
“I keep saying it: it’s not about too many cows, but how the land is managed,” he told Rural News.
Curtis, who is leaving the helm of Irrigation NZ in March, says he knows some “very, very good” dairy farmers with good environmental footprints and some “very, very bad” dairy farmers with horrible footprints – and the same with good and bad cropping farmers.
“So, let’s stop going on about the land use thing because it’s all about land management practices,” says.
“We’ve got a limits regime in place now and the limits regime basically says set the limits at a catchment level.”
Curtis has seen “a lot of fuss” over the dairy development of the Simons Pass Station in the Mackenzie.
“But, having seen that development, they’re retiring an awful lot of that land. And that land’s going to be well-managed; so instead of it being pine-infested, heiracium-infested, rabbit-infested — as much of it is at the moment — they’re going to set aside management funds to restore that properly.”
Winter grazing is looming again and the Ministry for Primary Industries says it's going to increase proactive farm visits and provide practical advice for farmers in the lead up to the season.
Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Vanessa Winning is stepping down after four years in the role.
IrrigationNZ submitted a briefing last month to the new Government this week on how water capture, storage, and efficient use can grow economic prosperity, support New Zealand's exports, and ensure long term regional resilience. Here's part of what Vanessa Winning, chief executive of IrrigationNZ, said:
IrrigationNZ has released its election manifesto, calling for policies that secure water for growing food.
The first two bills in the RMA reform package simply are not good enough.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
A day after the ouster of PGG Wrightson’s chair and his deputy, the listed rural trader’s board has appointed John Nichol as the new independent chair.
Tributes are pouring in from across the political divide for former Prime Minister Jim Bolger who passed away, aged 90.
The iconic services building at National Fieldays' Mystery Creek site will be demolished to make way for a "contemporary replacement that better serves the needs of both the community and event organisers," says board chair Jenni Vernon.
Agri advisor Perrin Ag says its graduate recruitment programme continues to bring new talent into the agricultural sector.
Entries are open for the 2026 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA).
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