Dairy industry awards regional finals underway
Manawatu became the first region to announce its finalists for the 2024 Dairy Industry Awards.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has thrown the worker shortage issue back to farmers, saying the industry must try harder to attract and retain workers.
Speaking at the recent New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, O’Connor said the industry must “tweak” the way they look for, retain and appreciate workers.
“We have to try hard…if we are the best industry then people should want to come and be part of it,” he says.
O’Connor also had a message for the dairy sector seeking more spaces in managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) spaces for overseas workers.
“It’s not possible at this stage just to open the doors,” he says.
“We’ve all done an amazing job to keep Covid at bay. That investment can’t be put at risk in a rush to open our borders.
“We will be cautious but I appreciate the pressure that is out there across the industry.”
O’Connor had some nice words for the dairy sector.
“This is the biggest and best industry in our country. Sunshine, rain, a bit of soil and we produce protein and food for the world. And, we have done it very very successfully.”
Federated Farmers vice president Chris Lewis says improving working conditions has been “a work in progress” for many years.
Lewis told Dairy News that every industry has some bad apples but claims the bell curve in the dairy industry when it comes to working conditions is shifting pretty quickly.
Lewis says the Government must not use “patsy excuses” to deny dairy industry more spaces in MIQ facilities for overseas workers.
He thinks the Government has reduced MIQ spaces and with many industries fighting for places, it is picking winners.
A recent DairyNZ survey showed that 87% of farmers surveyed had made changes to make their business more attractive to staff. These changes included improved rosters to give more time off (42%), reduced hours of work (34%), flexible milking schedule (23%), increased salaries and wages (65%).
To put more pressure on the Government, farmers are being asked to email the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi and O’Connor to highlight issues relating to worker shortage on their farms.
Farmers are being told the Government has signalled that they don’t think the industry needs migrant workers to help on our farms.
“We strongly encourage all farmers with a staffing shortage because of the restrictions on migrant labour to write to the Government and let them know,” says Lewis.
This month the Government denied an application by Federated Farmers and DairyNZ to bring in 500 skilled migrants to work on dairy farms. It also approved 125 agricultural machinery operators, way below the 400 that is needed.
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.
Listed Canterbury milk processor Synlait’s shares have been placed in a trading halt.
OPINION: Even before the National-led coalition came into power, India was very much at the fore of its trade agenda.
A step-by-step guide helping farmers through the process of creating a Freshwater Farm Plan (FWFP) has been launched by FarmIQ.
OPINION: European farmers are going to extreme lengths to have their message heard.
OPINION: The hustle and bustle of one of Bangkok's most popular fast food outlets may feel a world away from…