Farmer warns of hidden risks from forestry neighbours
Farmers who find the land next to them is about to be converted into forestry, face potential damage and costly consequences.
OPINION: Forestry is not all bad and planting pine trees on land that is prone to erosion or in soils which cannot support livestock farming makes sense.
And yes, production forestry does make a significant contribution to the country, but at what price? Just picture the devastation caused by forestry slash on the East Coast during Cyclone Gabrielle.
Also note the comments of former Feds president Bruce Wills - the damage by forests to neighbouring pastoral farms in the form of broken fences, the invasion of pests such as deer and possums and the fire risk. By all accounts many forestry owners go bush when it comes to paying for the damage and cost incurred on their pastoral neighbours.
The other big problem highlighted by Whanganui Feds boss Ben Fraser is deeply worrying. The advent of planting forests for carbon credits provides almost no benefits to local rural communities. 'Lock up and leave' is not a bad description of farming for carbon credits because it provides little or no ongoing employment, unlike pastoral farming which offers jobs on farm and employment to a raft of people in the community.
The government claims to be putting the brakes on carbon farming, but they are not doing enough, say farming and community leaders. Drive down just about any country road and you will see large tracts of hill country where once was, and still should be, the home of our ewe flocks producing export lambs, which is now sprouting little or bigger pine trees for what purpose?
The heart of the problem seems to be the misinterpretation of the land use capability (LUC) system, closely followed by a complete lack of common sense and understanding of NZ’s soils and land.
The LUC system is quite prescriptive and inflexible and fails to recognise what the human eye can see in terms of what is the best use of land.
If urgent decisive action is not taken by the government now, Godzone will change from being known as Ewe Zealand to now maybe New Treeland.
Listed rural trader PGG Wrightson chair Garry Moore and his deputy Sarah Brown have been voted out by shareholders.
It was love that first led Leah Prankerd to dairying.
DairyNZ has appointed Dr Jenny Jago to a newly created leadership team role - science partnerships & impact advisor - as part of a strategic refresh of the organisation's science leadership.
OPINION: Public pressure has led to Canterbury Police rightly rolling back its proposed restructure that would have seen several rural police stations closed in favour of centralised hubs.
When I interview Rachel Cox, she is driving - on her way to her next meeting.
With Fonterra's UHT plant at its Edendale site less than a year from completion, demand continues to grow for products the plant will produce, such as Anchor Whipping Cream.
OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly recently met someone at a BBQ who works at a big consulting firm who spent…