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Federated Farmers Meat & Wool chairperson William Beetham.
Federated Farmers is applauding Labour’s commitment to protect productive farmland if re-elected.
If elected next term, Labour says it will require resource consent for any conversion of highly productive farmland (Land Use Capability Classes 1-5) into forestry.
Federated Farmers Meat & Wool chairperson William Beetham says the announcement is a step in the right direction.
"We’re really pleased there is now acknowledgement there’s an issue with large-scale exotic plantings - particularly those grown just for carbon credits - swallowing up land used for food and fibre production,
“The result of this trend is loss of export income, employment and the undermining of rural district social cohesion."
However, Federated Farmers is still questioning whether what’s proposed will stop sheep and beef farms on the East Coast, which are more likely to be LUC 6 or higher, being taken over by blanket afforestation, says Beetham.
"We’d much rather Labour had taken on board the strong opposition on the topic expressed for many months now by the wider agricultural sector and some environmental NGOs, and not rushed through policy changes that have led to this issue.
"But it’s a welcome sign Labour is demonstrating a growing commitment to protecting productive farmland for our vital food and fibre industry, and backing their own calls for the ‘right tree in the right place’."
Federated Farmers says it would be happy to work with industry and government to “thrash out” effective and practical settings.
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Farmers are welcoming the announcement of two new bills to replace the under-fire Resource Management Act.
The Government has announced it will immediately roll over all resource consents for two years, with legislation expected to pass under urgency as early as this week.
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The biggest reform of local government in more than 35 years is underway.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.
Fears of a serious early drought in Hawke’s Bay have been allayed – for the moment at least.
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