Friday, 17 July 2015 06:20

Stand strong – Rolleston

Written by 
William Rolleston. William Rolleston.

Feds president William Rolleston has called for the NZ government to stand strong in the TPP negotiations. 

He told delegates to the Feds annual conference that agriculture is still the country’s greatest strength and it is not for sacrificial slaughter on the table of compromise. 

“If nations cannot tolerate free trade, including in agriculture, they need to step aside from the TPP negotiations and let those who are willing finish the deal.”

Referring to low prices in the dairy industry, Rolleston reminded delegates that as an open and trading nation NZ was vulnerable to international events.  

“The Greek debt default is a fast moving feast and there is plenty to play out. Falling stock markets in Shanghai, in response, could have a chilling effect on confidence in China and pose a potential risk to our exports. Panic in world affairs has never been a winning strategy so we look to the leaders involved to play it cool and settle the situation.”

Rolleston, recently elected deputy chair of the World Farmers Organisation, returned from a WFO meeting just hours before the Feds met. He sees common issues for farmers worldwide, including access to modern technology and government investment in agricultural science.  

“While for some, lack of access to technologies is a problem of scale and finance, for us it is regulatory. NZ farmers should have access to modern technologies such as nanotechnology, genetic modification and pesticides when they are shown to be safe. 

“Do we need regulation? Of course we do, but it should be based on risk rather than process,” he says. 

More like this

Corporate narrative?

OPINION: Forget about the fabled 'rural-urban' divide, the real fault-line in farming might actually be the divide between grass-roots farmers and the industry corporates who claim to be 'speaking on behalf of farmers'.

Editorial: Sensible move

OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.

Dairy unity

OPINION: A last-minute compromise ensured that the election of the new Federated Farmers national dairy chair wasn't a repeat of the Super 15 rugby final - Canterbury versus Waikato.

Featured

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Gaslight much?

OPINION: Labour leader Chris 'Chippy' Hipkins is carrying on the world-class gaslighting of the nation that he and his cohorts…

Our own 'Clarkson'

OPINION: The huge success of former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson's new TV show, Clarkson's Farm, and the boost it…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter