Wednesday, 28 February 2024 07:55

Farmers aren't villains - PM

Written by  Mark Daniel
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was popular among farmers at the Southern Field Days this month. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was popular among farmers at the Southern Field Days this month.

Returning to the field days circuit after a break of four years due to Covid, the Southern Field Days at Waimumu, near Gore, was all about positivity – following six months of negative sentiment in New Zealand agriculture.

With visitor numbers hitting an all-time high of 45,500 over the three days, bringing the overflow carpark into play, 780 sites offered plenty of interest for the folk who experienced sunburn on day one, followed by a hefty dose of rain on day two.

While the mood was good, it was a case of mixed reports from stallholders, with the purveyors of smaller items such as silage grabs or bale feeders doing business, whereas larger capital goods were on the back burner, with companies reporting it was a little quiet, especially after 2pm – probably an indication of the move towards dairying in the region.

Indeed, chatting to a few farming families at the hotel – those either dragged out for Valentines or grabbing a post-event feed on the way home – many said chequebooks were locked away until their fortunes improved.

Day one saw the arrival of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, alongside a number of rural MPs. He said farmers had been treated like villains for the past six years, but his Government was working hard to remove red tape and regulations that had stalled the rural economy.

“We want farmers to know they are not villains, but deeply valued individual or corporate businesses that this Government will back,” he said.

Spending time to talk to farmers, contractors, council officials and farming advocacy groups, his presence was in sharp contrast to the last visit paid by a Prime Minister; Jacinda Ardern spent an hour at Fieldays in 2020 and was roundly heckled by the crowd.

By contrast, Luxon was greeted by a huge round of applause when he noted, “NZ agriculture has been persecuted with 23 different rules or regulations over the last six years that have buried farmers in endless red tape.

Our job is to remove those regulatory barriers and, if need be, replace them with smart or considered alternatives, but only after proper discussions with the affected communities”.

Asked what he would do to stimulate the rural economy, he responded by suggesting, “over the next decade, if we can grow agriculture by 2% per annum, we will end up creating $35 of billion growth in the NZ economy”.

Southern Field Days chairman, Steve Henderson, said although spending was likely to be down at this year’s event because of low commodity prices and higher interest rates, Luxon’s visit had been positive, “showing the new Government was taking agriculture seriously, although it might take a while until things start to come right”.

More like this

Norwood appoints new CEO

Farm machinery importer and retailer Norwood has announced the appointment of Aaron Smith as the new chief executive officer of CB Norwood Distributors Limited.

Turkish delight for tractor maker

Late last year saw a lifeline thrown to plus-sized tractor manufacturer Buhler Industries, via its acquisition by Turkish business ASKO Holding.

A handy piece

Handypiece is a fully portable shearing handpiece being used by thousands of farmers and ag workers, in diverse roles across the globe.

Reduce your weed burden

Weed wiping has taken many formats over the last 50 years or more, with some systems achieving much better results than others.

New technology shows a better way to spray

Agri-tech innovation company MagrowTec has announced a national distribution agreement with spray equipment manufacturer Croplands who operate via a network of more than 170 dealerships across the Australian and New Zealand territories.

Featured

Farmers urged not to be complacent about TB

New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.

Editorial: Making wool great again

OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.

Helping protect sheep from parasites

Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) awards. As part of a series looking at this year’s rural winners, Leo Argent talked with Ginny Dodunski, winner of the Veterinary Impact Award for raising the profile of the Wormwise programme.

National

Machinery & Products

Buhler name to go

Shareholders at a special meeting have approved a proposed deal that will see Buhler Industries, the publicly traded Versatile and…

Grabbing bales made quick and easy

Front end loader and implement specialist Quicke has introduced the new Unigrip L+ and XL+ next-generation bale grabs, designed for…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Make it 1000%!

OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…

Own goal

OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter