No Panic Buying Please, There's Plenty of Fuel Around - Feds
Farmers want more direct, accurate information about both fuel and fertiliser supply.
Federated Farmers says it is “puzzled and frustrated” by the Ministry for the Environment’s (MfE) failure to immediately release the peer review of Essential Freshwater nutrient band technical reports.
“We’re racing against the Government’s extremely tight submission timeframe to do due diligence on what’s proposed on new freshwater quality regulations and why,” Feds environment spokesperson Chris Allen said.
“The nutrient proposals have generated considerable attention and debate, not just by farmers, and we’re especially keen to understand the technical details underpinning the main report.”
Allen says that on September 8, Federated Farmers asked the MfE for a copy of the independent peer review and was told on September 13: “what was a straightforward query would be treated as a request under the Official Information Act (OIA)”.
Under the OIA rules, MfE has up to 20 days to respond.
“It is sound professional practice to commission independent peer review of core technical elements of proposals like this and the Essential Freshwater documents refer to, and rely on, this review,” Allen added.
“We simply don’t understand why the MfE doesn’t release it immediately.”
A Local State of Emergency has been declared for the Waikato for a period of seven days as the region prepares for Cyclone Vaianu to hit the area.
Farmers will get an opportunity to hear about the latest developments in sheep genetics at the Sheep Breeder Forum this May.
Specialist horticulture and viticulture weather forecasters Metris says the incoming Cyclone Vaianu is likely to impact growers across the country.
A group of old Otago uni mates with a love of South Island back-country have gone the lengths of Waiau Toa Clarence from source to sea. Tim Fulton, who joined the group in the final fun to the river mouth, tells their story.
Operating with a completely different format from conventional tractors and combine harvesters, the NEXAT prime mover combines all steps of crop production in one modular carrier vehicle, from tillage, through seeding to harvesting.
Reports of severe weather forecast to move over the vast majority of New Zealand’s kiwifruit orchards this weekend will be very concerning for a significant number of growers.

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