Tuesday, 25 February 2025 07:55

Feds vow to keep Govt honest

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Toby Williams, Federated Farmers, believes the key thing is holding the Government to account. Toby Williams, Federated Farmers, believes the key thing is holding the Government to account.

Buoyed by a survey showing farmer confidence rising to its highest level in over a decade, Federated Farmers says it's not taking its foot off the pedal.

The farmer lobby says its biggest role is keeping the Government honest.

The Federated Farmers January survey shows farmers' confidence in current general economic conditions has surged from a deeply negative 66% in July 2024 to a net positive score of 2%. This marks the largest one-off improvement since the question was introduced in 2016.

The survey shows falling interest rates, rising incomes and more favourable farming rules have all played a major role in that improvement.

Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Toby Williams told Rural News that to see farmer confidence bounce back from record lows to its highest point in over a decade is a phenomenal result.

"It was the largest one-off lift in farmer confidence we've seen to date, and I think it's important that we celebrate that. We were coming off a pretty low base. Yes, farmer confidence is now in positive territory, but there's still a lot of room for improvement."

Williams believes the key thing is holding the Government to account.

"During the election, a lot of promises were made to our farmers and rural communities, and we need to make sure they deliver on those - because people are depending on it.

"There's no denying the Government have done a lot for farmers so far, and that's certainly appreciated, but there's still a lot more that needs to be done.

"I think we've shown that we can work with the Government to get stuff done, but when they make a stuff up, we're not afraid to call them out for that and apply a bit of pressure.

"That's exactly what we've seen over the last few weeks with the announcement of these new international emission reduction targets that are just going to lead to more pine trees in rural communities."

Williams says they are going to have a lot more to say about the Government's climate policies in the coming weeks and months.

"So, watch this space. New Zealand needs sensible and achievable climate policy, not a hope and pray approach that will just see hundreds of thousands of hectares planted in pine trees.

"This is a huge issue for our meat and wool members in particular."

Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says they will keep pushing hard to cut costs out of farmers' businesses and reduce some of that regulatory burden.

The survey results show regulation and compliance costs remain the greatest concerns for farmers, followed by interest rates and banks, and input costs.

"When it comes to farmer confidence, a lot of it comes down to what's coming into our bank account, and what's going out the other side. It's a simple equation," Langford says.

"A lot of that is market driven, and farmers are used to riding those highs and lows, but government rules and regulations have a significant impact on farmers' costs."

More like this

Working with farmers to ensure best outcomes

OPINION: Recent media commentary from Southland Federated Farmers has raised concerns among our rural communities, particularly around Environment Southland’s approach to winter grazing inspections and nitrogen reporting. But let’s be clear, much of what’s been said simply doesn’t reflect reality.

Editorial: Nitrate emergency?

OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.

Federated Farmers slam Canterbury nitrate emergency

A shameless political stunt is how Federated Farmers is describing the Canterbury Regional Council decision to declare “a nitrate emergency” on the back of its latest annual groundwater quality survey.

Featured

Editorial: Right call

OPINION: Public pressure has led to Canterbury Police rightly rolling back its proposed restructure that would have seen several rural police stations closed in favour of centralised hubs.

Owl Farm marks 10 years as NZ’s first demonstration dairy farm

In 2015, the signing of a joint venture between St Peter's School, Cambridge, and Lincoln University saw the start of an exciting new chapter for Owl Farm as the first demonstration dairy farm in the North Island. Ten years on, the joint venture is still going strong.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Quid prod quo?

OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…

Deadwood

OPINION: A mate of yours truly recently met someone at a BBQ who works at a big consulting firm who spent…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter