Greenpeace a charity?
OPINION: Should Greenpeace be stripped of their charitable status? Farmers say yes.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
He says Feds’ regular banking surveys shows that farmer satisfaction with banks is at a record low, and the number of farmers coming under undue pressure is at a record high.
“Those statistics are a damning indictment on the state of rural lending in New Zealand, but unfortunately the issue goes much deeper than that.
“New Zealand’s banking regulations are now some of the harshest and most stringent in the world, and that’s adding huge costs for rural borrowers.”
Federated Farmers is calling for an inquiry into rural bank lending. In a submission to the primary production select committee, farmers urged the Government to initiate an inquiry.
McIntyre claims that new capital holding rules are now costing farmers more each year than He Waka Eke Noa was ever going to.
“It’s estimated these rules add between 0.5% and 1.2% to rural interest rates and cost farmers an eye-watering $310m to $740m each year.
“For comparison, He Waka Eke Noa was forecast to levy farmers around $255m each year.”
McIntyre hopes that the Government “have enough backbone to stand up to them and make it happen”.
Those rules are supposed to protect our banking system against a one in 200-year shock, but the question does need to be asked: could the medicine be worse than the disease?
You can trust that Federated Farmers have your back when it comes to banking issues, and we’ll keep fighting hard for this inquiry
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.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
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.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
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.
OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…
OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.