A significant fertiliser breakthrough?
Former ACT MP and Federated Farmers president Owen Jennings believes he's come across a new fertilising method in Australia that yields "outstanding results".
Ballance Agri-Nutrients has formed a team to help farmers deal with councils in sorting their compliance with environmental regulations and in applying for consents.
The team will provide a direct link between farmers and regional councils, the company says.
Team manager Alastair Taylor comments that, for example, the Sustainable Dairying Water Accord is ‘pressuring’ farmers to manage nutrients on their land.
“Farmers need to navigate through regulations on effluent management, nutrient use and environmental performance. Our new team will provide a direct link between farmers and regional councils to take the hassle out of environmental compliance.
“Regional councils are monitoring farms using the Overseer nutrient management model, which is jointly owned by the fertiliser industry, AgResearch and the Ministry for Primary Industries….
“Throughout New Zealand there is myriad of environmental regulations, by region and within regions. Our specialist team, with local experience and knowledge, helps farmers comply with their local land and water plans.”
The Ballance business extension services team provides nutrient budgets for resource consents, compliance and sale and purchase agreements.
It started in Canterbury and now is also working in the Horizons, Otago and Southland regions.
“In addition to our knowledge of Overseer and modelling farm systems, we also work with the Ballance science and sales teams to give farmers science-related advice,” Taylor says.
The team recently offered all Ballance dairy customers in Canterbury help in obtaining their nitrogen baseline, required under the regional land and water plan.
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The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) has found itself in a stoush with NZPork over the controversial National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land (NPS-HPL).
Fonterra says the sale of its global consumer business and its Oceania and Sri Lankan operations could take 18 months to complete.
The lobby group the Methane Science Accord (MSA) says it welcomes a recent government move to seek outside advice on reducing biological methane targets, rather than relying on recommendations made by the Climate Change Commission.
Well-known scientist Jock Allison has passed away.
After a decade of consultation and court battles, Environment Southland has officially adopted a plan to prevent further decline in the region's water quality.
Farmers are throwing down the gauntlet to politicians - hold an independent inquiry into rural bank lending or face tough questions from the farming sector.
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