High court appeal looms over water
An appeal to the High Court is looking likely as Mid Canterbury irrigators BCI digest the implications of the Environment Canterbury Plan Change 2 announcement two weeks ago.
A High Court decision that will cause Government ministers to reconsider the sale of the former Crafar farms could improve investment certainty in the long run, says Federated Farmers.
When the Crafar receivership saga ends it should be thoroughly reviewed, Feds says.
"I recall Bruce Wills, Federated Farmers president, saying only last month that this legal challenge will put new overseas investment rules and processes through an acid test," says Willy Leferink, Federated Farmers Dairy chairperson.
"Whatever falls out from this, it can only help to make overseas investment processes more robust.
"It's also no secret farmers are asking some big questions about the receivers 'all or nothing' approach to selling these farms. There are plenty of farmers who could have bought individual farms as going concerns.
"Since these farms went into receivership, some 150 dairy farms have been sold nationwide.
In the three months to December 2011, sixteen dairy farms were sold in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
"Eyebrows were raised when the Waikato Times reported the receivership bill was over $6 million as of last October.
"The decision to sell the farms as one lot has only prolonged things. All the while, the physical and productive capacity of these farms has suffered," Leferink said.
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.
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