End of war on farming, say farmers
Federated Farmers says changes announced to the Resource Management Act today mark the end of the war on farming.
Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre, who sharemilks in the Horowhenua, says the past year has not been easy.
He says interest rates, rising costs and a lower milk price is stretching farmers' budgets to the limit. He says the first six months of this season were terrible, but a good summer and autumn have seen things pick up. He says getting maize planted was a challenge but says the yield appears to be good, despite the late planting.
McIntyre was one of a few farmers who took a punt and spent extra money and bought supplement specifically to get his cows in good condition for mating and this has worked out well for him. But for him and others, the shortage of skilled labour remains a big problem and one that is not just confined to the farm.
"A lot of our support industries are also short staffed, for example, the people who service tractors. Some are a little less experienced than in the past and so things aren't running efficiently on farm because it's hard to get your tractors fixed. It costs more to do it and it takes longer because there is a shortage of mechanics," he says.
McIntyre says farmers are also concerned about killing space at the works, not only for cull cows but also bobby calves.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
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