Tasman farmers and orchardists struggling with flood recovery and mental health pressures
The strain and pressure of weeks of repairing their flood-damaged properties is starting to tell on farmers and orchardists in the Tasman district.
Rural mental health has been given a funding boost of $600,000.
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy were joined by Prime Minister John Key at the Fieldays to announce the extra funding for Rural Mental Wellness, a continuation of last year's investment.
"The Government recognises that rural life goes in cycles, with ups and downs. We are committed to supporting our rural communities," says Dr Coleman.
"The Rural Mental Wellness initiative is the right mix of further raising awareness of mental health issues within rural communities, coupled with practical help to improve the skills of the health professionals who work alongside the rural sector.
"This joint investment will help to ensure we maintain the momentum achieved last year, while also putting a plan in place for the future."
Guy says the new funding will help to strengthen local networks for farmers, workers and families in rural communities. It will provide more suicide prevention workshops and employ coordinators to work with Rural Support Trusts.
"Farmers and their families are not alone," he says. "There is a wide range of good advice and support from organisations like Rural Support Trusts, Farmstrong, and Dairy NZ.
"While this season may be tough for some, it's important to keep a focus on what we can control and to remember the long term outlook for the dairy sector is bright."
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.