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Willy Leferink New Zealand Farmers Mid Canterbury president.
SIT TIGHT, ride out the storm and be ready to harvest again when the time is right. That’s the message from Mid Canterbury dairy farmer Willy Leferink, new as Feds provincial president in that region.
Leferink says notwithstanding the doom and gloom about a low payout this season, farmers need to hang in and wait until the situation improves. The quantity of product being sold now is a far cry from the recent past when at one stage it was up to 55,000 tonnes.
“There must still be a huge overhang somewhere and because the Europeans still can’t supply Russia all that powder has to find a home. It puts a lot of pressure on what we are selling. I find it silly that skim milk powder is going well when it’s the only thing the Americans sell on the open market.”
Leferink says when Chris Allen, the former provincial president, was elected to federation board, he (Leferink) was asked to take on the role of provincial president.
“Chris promised he’d give me a couple of months off which I needed to help out on the farm and get that up to scratch and after that I would take over. For me it’s now a case getting back up with the play on all the nutrient management issues down here which are very complex.”
Also on Leferink’s mind is the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks which potentially offer benefits to New Zealand dairy farmers. He applauds the work being done to get an agreement but says there are many behind-the-scenes power plays. One option may be to work more closely with the Australians, he says.
After quitting Feds national board in July, Leferink has again been dirtying his hands on his farm, but after a meeting of the Mid-Canterbury executive he feels he owes it to the province to take the position as provincial president.
“I am looking forward to focusing on Mid-Canterbury and working with the region’s stakeholders. There is a lot going on with Environment Canterbury’s regulatory changes, especially in the Hinds Plain planning process.
“Farmers are a growing force here with agriculture driving mid-Canterbury’s economy, so there’s a lot of responsibility in representing our growing membership.”
Jesse Chan-Dorman has become provincial vice president and Joanne Burke chair of grain and seeds.
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