Young water science talent recognised
Third-year student Cady Burns has won the Waikato Regional Council Prize in Water Science for 2024.
More Waikato farmers are taking their eye off the ball when it comes to effluent management, says Waikato Regional Council.
It says monitoring of effluent management has had mixed findings.
Following the recent easing of Covid restrictions in the Waikato, the council’s rural compliance team has resumed its proactive monitoring of effluent management systems across the region’s 4000 dairy farms.
“Weather conditions have been pretty good for irrigating, and we would have expected to see effluent being used effectively as a fertiliser and not having a negative impact on the environment,” said rural compliance team leader Stu Stone.
“But we’ve found one in 10 of the farms visited either has not got adequate infrastructure in place, or their management practices have slipped.
“It is unfortunate that we are placed in a position of having to formally investigate the worst of these cases, and there is a real possibility that some of them may result in prosecution,” Stone said.
It is encouraging farmers to connect with the wider industry to get good guidance on dairy effluent infrastructure.
Accredited designers listed by DairyNZ are the appropriate people to get guidance from.
“They will design an effluent infrastructure system that is fit for purpose for that particular farm,” says Stone.
He reminded farmers that even with a good level of infrastructure there still needed to be investment made in staff training and all farm staff needed to be vigilant on a day-to-day basis to avoid mishaps.
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.
Making things simpler, not harder, for deer farmers in farm planning and coping with regulations is Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) industry capability manager John Ladley’s current focus.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) is launching an online business directory called The Country Women’s Collective to promote and support entrepreneurial rural women.
New Zealand actor Sam Neill has joined the Campaign for Wool NZ as an ambassador, lending his name and profile to educate and advocate for New Zealand strong wool.
OPINION: The new government has clearly signalled big cuts across the public service.
OPINION: Your canine crusader is not surprised by the recent news that New Zealand plant-based ‘fake meat’ business is in…