Damien O’Connor Criticises Budget 2026 as ‘Miserable’ for Rural New Zealand
A miserable budget that didn’t deliver much for anyone.
The Hound can’t believe how full of hot air this Government is in demanding the ag sector reduce its carbon footprint – no matter what the cost – while it fails to do anything itself.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, with 16 members of his hugely expensive, invisible and ineffective Primary Sector Council, were more than happy to jet off around the world clocking up huge air miles and carbon gases to attend a glorified talkfest in the US.
O’Connor and his PSC lapdogs joined other NZ primary industry leaders at the recent Stanford University, California, for the annual Te Hono Bootcamp.
As a mate of yours truly asked, “Surely it would have been better for the planet to have these ag leaders meet in Wellington and have the Stanford University experts Skype in.”
Yes, but that’s not how the Government and its mates work.
In advance of the Budget, Finance Minister Nicola Willis put a clear damper on expectations and delivered accordingly.
Farmers should be cautiously optimistic as the 2026/27 season kicks off, says DairyNZ.
RaboResearch senior analyst Emma Higgins expects the 2026/27 dairy season to be another profitable one.
The new dairy season is kicking off with plenty of risks to the forecast farmgate price, both upside and downside, says ANZ agricultural economist Matt Dilly.
A potential showdown between the top two Federated Farmers leaders looms at the farmer lobby's annual meeting later this month.
FarmIQ Systems has developed a free land management app to help remove barriers to New Zealand farmers and growers adopting digital tools.

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