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This old mutt has long been suspicious of a group of water zealots in South Canterbury known as the Opihi Catchment Environmental Protection Society (OCEPS).
The group has for years been making unsubstantiated allegations of pollution in the Opuha dam from organochlorine chemicals. Despite numerous tests and clearances by local authorities ECan and Timaru District Council for banned pesticides DDT and dieldrin, the group is never satisfied and keeps insisting there are residues in the water. Recently it was discovered that a small area of sediment containing white granules was discovered in the river which tested to have very high levels of DDT and arsenic.
It was “incredibly confronting” for Taupo farmers to be told in about 2000 that their farms were polluting the lake and they would probably have to go, says Mike Barton, of Glen Emmreth Farm at Lake Taupo.
Farmers should have their say on what the priorities should be for environmental reporting.
Being a dairy farmer and an environmentalist, I have been perplexed by the banter and politicking over the regional council's One Plan implementation.
Agreement has been reached on reducing by 20% the amount of nitrogen leaching into Lake Taupo through the ground.
A DISTRICT court judge is warning farmers polluting waterways can expect higher fines in future to provide greater deterrence as cases "continue to come before the courts".
Australian dairy farmers supplying Fonterra are getting an opening weighted average milk price of A$8.60/kgMS for the new season or around NZ$9.26/kgMS - NZ74c less than New Zealand suppliers, based on the current exchange rate.
Taranaki veterinarian Dr Rob Mills is the new president of New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA).
Input costs can make or break a season for farmers and electricity is one of the largest expenses.
Zespri says global sales for the 2024-25 season topped $5 billion on the back of strong demand and market returns.
Massey University is returning to the Fieldays with a future-focused, solution-driven theme, showcasing research that delivers practical advancements in agricultural efficiency, sustainability and longevity.
Newly appointed National Fieldays chief executive Richard Lindroos says his team is ready, excited and looking forward to delivering the four-day event next month.
