Feds make case for rural bank lending probe
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
Heavy weekend rain, in the lower eastern half of the North Island, will start to turn things around for farmers who have been facing a desperate situation with drought.
More rain is expected in the next 24 hours.
Dairy farmer Ben Allomes, who farms near Woodville in the Tararua District, says the rain will ease the situation on his and other farms.
Allomes described the situation, prior to the rain, as tight with supplementary feed in either short supply or very expensive.
He says in the past week, he’s managed to get a few more cull cows off the works which has eased the pressure.
However, Allomes points out that more rain is still needed to improve the feed situation going into winter.
President of Federated Farmers for Wairarapa, William Beetham, says some parts of his region received up to 200 millimetres of rain, which he says has come at the right time.
Beetham says with sunny weather and the soil still warm the grass should now start to grow. He says the feed situation has been very tight with baleage almost impossible to get – although supplies of straw and grain were available.
Beetham says with Covid-19 the closure of the sale yards has made it hard for farmers. He has three properties and employs six fulltime staff and has put in place a whole set of protocols to protect staff to allow them to work.
Beetham says his workers have also been issued with letters, designed by Fed Farmers, which state that staff are working in an essential industry and have to travel between farms to carry out their work.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.