94% of NZ farmers oppose Paris Agreement, survey shows
A survey of 2000 farmers shows 94% of respondents believe that remaining in the Paris Agreement for climate change is not in the country's best interest.
Groundswell NZ organisers say a lack of response from the Government has led it to plan another major nationwide protest event later in the year.
It says while a date in November is yet to be set, the expectation is the next protest action will be of a "scale and impact that will be significant in New Zealand's history".
Spokesman Bryce McKenzie says there is widespread concern among both rural and urban people, councils and the business sector about the direction the Government is taking our country and the tsunami of unworkable regulations being rammed through.
McKenzie says in the lead up to November's nationwide protest, several actions will be undertaken.
The first is for the next three Fridays at 12.30pm, under the banner "CAN YOU HEAR US", Groundswell is calling for 2 minutes of support by every car, bike, truck, train - anything with a horn - tooting in support of its campaign.
The group is also writing to all councils around NZ calling for a halt to all RMA planning processes. In tandem with writing to councils, Groundswell NZ is calling for all landowners to decline access for councils or their agents wanting to undertake mapping or information gathering on private land.
"We are not against the need for regulation or the need to care for the environment," McKenzie says. "Nor are we calling for a halt to addressing environmental issues. We are saying there are much better, proven solutions to addressing environmental issues than the one-size-fits-all approach being legislated by the Government."
He adds that the group has recently added the Three Waters reform and the Water Services Bill to its growing list of unworkable regulations.
While the District Field Days brought with it a welcome dose of sunshine, it also attracted a significant cohort of sitting members from the Beehive – as one might expect in an election year.
Irish Minister of State of Agriculture, Noel Grealish was in New Zealand recently for an official visit.
While not all sibling rivalries come to blows, one headline event at the recent New Zealand Rural Games held in Palmerston North certainly did, when reigning World Champion Jack Jordan was denied the opportunity of defending his world title in Europe later this year, after being beaten by his big brother’s superior axle blows, at the Stihl Timbersports Nationals.
AgriZeroNZ has invested $5.1 million in Australian company Rumin8 to accelerate development of its methane-reducing products for cattle and bring them to New Zealand.
Farmers want more direct, accurate information about both fuel and fertiliser supply.
A bull on a freight plane sounds like the start of a joke, but for Ian Bryant, it is a fond memory of days gone by.

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