increase font size
The ‘band-aid’ solution of extending priority processing of visas is simply bringing no joy to farmers in desperate need of staff for calving.
OPINION: It's time for the Government to step in and resolve the migrant worker visa issue for the dairy sector, once and for all.
The ‘band-aid’ solution of extending priority processing of visas is simply bringing no joy to farmers in desperate need of staff for calving, nor to experienced and eager workers ready to help with calving on NZ dairy farms.
According to Federated Farmers, the dairy sector needs up to 1000 workers for calving season now underway. However, it’s taking up to six months for Immigration NZ to process visas.
Federated Farmers has been working closely with the Minister of Immigration and INZ to try and find solutions to alleviate some of the pressure short-staffed farmers are under and prevent any animal welfare issues during calving.
Last week, farmers got some relief. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford agreed to some limited exceptions for existing visa applications, where the applicant is already onshore, to facilitate them being on farm as soon as possible.
The Minister has also agreed to extend priority processing for dairy farm worker and dairy farmer visa applications until 1 September, which should at least see farmers through the bulk of South Island calving. But it only relieves some of the short-term pressure this season, and it’s only a band-aid solution.
The time has come for the Government to address some of the bigger, longer-term challenges with the immigration system.
For starters, the accredited employer scheme is a shambles.
Farmers pay to become accredited employers; it’s a time-tested process and farmers must have a long history of being good employers and keep good records. But it’s still taking farmers four to five months to get a visa for overseas workers.
If the Government doesn’t fix these challenges over the next 12 months, farmers will find themselves back in the exact same situation next season.
New Zealand's pest problem has reached crisis point, according to Federated Farmers' second National Pests Survey, which shows farmers are spending more money and effort on control — yet pest numbers keep climbing faster than they were two years ago.
Despite political shenanigans in Wellington, farmers are confident that Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms will get over the line in this term of Parliament.
The Government has announced it will pause key parts of Waikato Plan Change 1 (PC1) in a decision that is set to give Waikato farmers a reprieve from new consenting and farm-planning requirements while the wider resource management system is overhauled.
OPINION: The time has come for the Government to back the organic sector.
OPINION: As the general election approaches, political parties are churning out policies in the hope of attracting more votes.
Farmers can spend less time on paperwork, thanks to a new data sharing agreement between DairyNZ’s DairyBase and LIC’s MINDA software.
Kaikōura families affected by July's severe storm have found a practical solution to a problem that's kept some children away from regular schooling for weeks: a washed-out section of Inland Kaikōura Road, which has stopped the local school bus from running its usual route.
Rural New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s recent package of rural healthcare initiatives.
Interest in agritech and production animal systems has prompted Massey University's School of Agriculture and the Environment to new majors to its popular animal science degree.
Ballance Agrinutrients chief executive Kelvin Wickham says despite a tough year, he is pleased the business has returned to profit.
When Northland farmer Mark Cameron entered parliament six years ago, the Beehive was a lonely place.
OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…
