Feds claiming 'some real success' on policy front
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers continues to be snubbed in regard to the Government’s freshwater reforms.
Late last week, Environment Minister David Parker and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor – along with ministry officials – unveiled the long-awaited reforms before invited media at Parliament.
Rural News understands that Federated Farmers has been on the outer and completely frozen out of the process since May last year, when it was accused of leaking confidential briefing material about the reforms – something that the farmer lobby has fiercely denied and Ministry for the Environment (MfE) officials have never proven.
MfE blamed Feds for the leak and refused to work with or share any further information on the water reforms with the farmer lobby.
This was despite the Feds strenuous denials of any leak in a letter to Parker’s office.
“The documents were not provided to our elected water spokesman and definitely not to any farmers,” the letter said.
Editor's note; This story has been updated to clarify that Federated Farmers were not the only organisation missing from the launch. All stakeholders winessed the launch online due to Covid-19 restrictions. There were no invited guests: only journalists were present at the launch in Wellington.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
The latest report from ANZ isn’t good news for sheep farmers: lamb returns are forecast to remain low.
Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.