Wednesday, 25 May 2016 11:55

Dairy farmers: help yourself

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Ian Greaves (right) talks with DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle. Ian Greaves (right) talks with DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle.

Kiwifruit growers are throwing their support behind dairy farmers suffering from two successive years of low payout.

Farmer support toolkits, prepared for Psa-affected kiwifruit growers, are being used by DairyNZ in a campaign to help dairy farmers.

Kiwifruit grower and Seeka Grower Council chairman Ian Greaves says after the Psa outbreak, the focus was to preserve life. He told the DairyNZ Farmers Forum that there were no grower suicides in the kiwifruit industry, after the outbreak of Psa.

"The rural sector is over-represented by suicides; it is preventable and we all have a role to play in it," he says.

Greaves says the kiwifruit industry is helping dairy farmers navigate through the downturn in prices.

The kiwifruit farmer support tool kits were prepared by the industry and it is not rocket science, he adds.

Greaves urged dairy farmers to look after each other but stressed it was important to look after themselves.

"No one is alone; you are there for your neighbour but first of all, look after yourself.

"Your cows won't be any good without you; your family and your community won't be any good without you."

Greaves says Psa affected 850 orchards, forcing growers to dig out entire orchards.

While capital value of orchards has bounced back, most growers went without income for several years.

"It didn't change to no profit like most dairy farmers are facing this year; we changed to no income and I picked my first crop since Psa last month.

"We had to pull out stumps and put in new plants; it's like forestry, you have to wait a long time.

"There has been no income for years from our orchards; yes, capital value is back and the banks are ready to lend us more money but cash flow and income have been devastated."

More like this

Strong uptake of good wintering practices

DairyNZ has seen a significant increase in the number of farmers improving their wintering practices, which results in a higher standard of animal care and environmental protection.

Better animal genetic gain system

A governance group has been formed, following extensive sector consultation, to implement the recommendations from the Industry Working Group's (IWG) final report and is said to be forming a 'road map' for improving New Zealand's animal genetic gain system.

OSPRI's costly software upgrade

Animal disease management agency OSPRI has announced sweeping governance changes as it seeks to recover from the expensive failure of a major software project.

Kiwifruit sector's big night out

The turmoil and challenges faced by the kiwifruit industry in the past 30 years were put to one side but not forgotten at a glitzy night for 400 kiwifruit growers and guests in Mt Maunganui recently.

Featured

Massey Research Field Day attracts huge interest

More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.

National

Winter grazing warning

Every time people from overseas see photographs of cows up to their hocks in mud it's bad for New Zealand.

ANZ defends farm lending rates

The country's largest lender to the agriculture sector says it's not favouring home loans over farm and business lending.

Machinery & Products

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo…

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Review SOEs!

OPINION: NIWA has long weathered complaints about alleged stifling of competition in forecasting, and more recently, claims of lack of…

Bank reset

OPINION: Adding to calls to get banks to 'back off', NZ Agri Brokers director Andrew Laming has revealed that the…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter