increase font size
A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER group working on ways to protect the Waikato and Waipa rivers has begun a series of field trips to help them understand the wider community's issues and perspectives.
The Collaborative Stakeholder Group (CSG) for the Healthy Rivers: Plan for Change/Wai Ora: He Rautaki Whakapaipai project is to develop recommendations for a regional plan change designed to manage land use affecting waterways.
The group visited the dairy farm of Tokoroa's George Moss this month. Moss is one of two dairy sector representatives on the CSG. He highlighted how operations on his farm related to water quality were managed.
Commenting on the visit, CSG chair Bill Wasley: "The key message for our group was that there is no one size fits all approach for dealing with farming's impact on water quality.
"In developing solutions, the group needs to be highly aware of the geographic, as well as the social and cultural, diversity in the Waikato and Waipa river catchments. Strong evidence-based science will be required to develop solutions for reducing impacts on water quality."
The next CSG visit will involve a trip to a King Country marae and getting an understanding of the characteristics of the Waipa catchment, while future field trips will include a sheep and beef farm, and tourism, recreation and energy facilities.
Meanwhile, the project's Technical Leaders Group of expert advisers has met for the first time and begun providing the CSG with information, including on the state of rivers and lakes in the catchments.
Last season was a mixed bag for Waikato contractors, with early planted forage maize, planted on the dry soils around Cambridge, doing badly after germination and failing to meet potential, says Jeremy Rothery, Jackson Contracting.
For those rural women who feel menopause might be getting the best of them, a series of events is heading to the Waikato that could help.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
A Waikato dairy farm which began its first riparian planting project 20 years ago now stands as an exemplar for rural land users, backed by science and clever long-term planning.
ASB is rolling out more community bankers across New Zealand, providing targeted coaching and seminars to help customers with their personal finance needs.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.
