increase font size
Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor.
OPINION: Farmers and growers can rightly feel somewhat confused about the mixed messaging coming from the Government about the risks to the sector from Omicron.
On the one hand, last week Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor announced that the Government had allocated $400,000 to support primary producers for contingency planning and response if farmers or growers get Covid-19.
“The Government is committed to keeping vital workforces going. Primary producers have always been essential workers throughout the pandemic, but as Omicron reaches further into our communities, we are stepping up to ensure we can protect the wellbeing of our rural communities,” the Minister claimed.
“Contingency planning by farmers, growers and lifestyle block owners will minimise the risk of further Covid-19 related disruptions, which can occur anywhere along the supply chain.”
Fine. This is a sensible move considering the importance of the primary sector to the economy of New Zealand.
However, at the very same time O’Connor – along with Climate Change Minister James Shaw – are insisting that farmers and growers attend public consultations over the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) climate proposals. This is despite the arrival of the highly contagious Omicron Covid variant in the country and the potential health risks to farmers, who are deemed essential workers – not to mention the restrictions on public meetings under the red light traffic settings making ‘consultation’ hardly extensive and widespread.
Even the belated move by the Government to extend the consultation period for a month does little to lessen the health risk, especially when the peak of Omicron is expected to hit the country about then and is set to disrupt New Zealanders for months to come.
If the Government really is keen to ensure full and proper consultation (on what Beef+Lamb NZ chairman Andrew Morrison has described as “one of the most important issues for farmers in 2022”), giving farmers right across the country the opportunity to meet face-to-face with representatives to ask questions about the HWEN proposals, it should be put on hold until proper meetings and consultation can take place.
This latest move does nothing to shift the view that the Government’s mind is already made up on this issue and its ideological drive to pass climate change legislation within strict deadlines has overridden the imperative of full, proper and safe consultation with farmers.
OPINION: Welcome to the second annual NZ Dairy Expo at Matamata – an event created to bring together the best of the New Zealand dairy industry in a focused, grassroots environment where dairy farmers and rural professionals can meet, talk, compare products, and make smart decisions for their farms.
New DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown says bipartisan agreement among political parties on emissions pricing and freshwater regulations would greatly help farmers.
It's a bloody tough year for sheep farmers, but the worst may be over, and the future looks optimistic.
First up to the podium at the recent Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) Conference in Wellington, Minster for Agriculture, Todd McClay, reflected on a difficult 12 months, but hinted at signs that things were turning the corner, saying “when ag does well, New Zealand does well”.
A horror story - that’s how Federated Farmers describes new research looking at forestry conversions’ impact on water quality.
The world is now amid potentially one of the most disruptive periods in world trade for a very long time.
Former Westland Milk boss Richard Wyeth is taking over as chief executive of Canterbury milk processor Synlait from May 19.
Listed carpet maker Bremworth says it’s preparing to call a special meeting requested by a group of disgruntled shareholders.
Listed carpet maker Bremworth has been rocked by a call from some shareholders for a board revamp.
New Zealand's largest celebration of rural sports athletes and enthusiasts – New Zealand Rural Games - is back for its 10th edition, kicking off in Palmerston North from Thursday, March 6th to Sunday, March 9th, 2025.
Southland breeder Tim Gow attributes the success of his Shire breed of hair sheep to the expert guidance of his uncle, the late Dr Scott Dolling, who was a prominent Australian animal geneticist.
OPINION: Henry Dimbleby, author of the UK's Food Strategy, recently told the BBC: "Meat production is about 85% of our…
OPINION: For the last few weeks, we've witnessed a parade of complaints about New Zealand's school lunch program: 'It's arriving…
