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Agriculture Minister Todd McClay.
OPINION: Farmers are rightly urging the Government to relax the rules around KiwiSaver and allow young farmers to use their savings towards purchasing either a house, cows or a farm.
After all, National’s agriculture spokesman Todd McClay, on the eve of the last general election, told farmers in Morrinsville that a National-led Government would let young farmers use their KiwiSaver as part of a deposit to buy a farm, or sharemilking herd or for a flock, to help them get on the ownership ladder.
He said people in towns could use KiwiSaver for their first home deposit, but in rural New Zealand, this wasn’t possible.
“This just seems wrong, and the next National Government will fix it,” McClay told farmers back then.
Now Federated Farmers wants the Government to deliver on that pre-election promise.
According to Feds, the announcement was incredibly popular, particularly among the next generation of farmers, but also with older farmers who are looking for succession pathways.
The federation points out that while National MP Suze Redmayne has since submitted a Members’ Bill that would address some of the issues young farmers face, it is but one of more than 70 bills in the Members’ Ballot – effectively a raffle – and her bill may never be drawn.
Federated Farmers national board member Richard McIntyre claims that having a Members’ Bill in the biscuit tin doesn’t even come close to delivering on their campaign promise.
He wants McClay and all rural MPs to really get in behind farmers and push hard on this issue.
With the National Fieldays around the corner, it may be a good venue for the Prime Minister, and McClay to finally deliver on their party’s election promise.
With adverse weather set to rain down on the Top of the South, the Bay of Plenty and parts of Northland, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says farmers, foresters, and growers need to prepare for possible challenges.
OPINION: The Government's decision to stop local authorities going ahead with reviews of district and regional plans makes sense for several reasons.
A long running trade dispute between New Zealand and Canada over dairy access has been resolved.
We're working through it, and we'll get to it.
OPINION: Good times are coming back for the primary industries. From sentiment expressed at Fieldays to the latest rural confidence survey results, all indicate farmer confidence at a near-record high.
From nitrogen limits to ecosystem restoration –farmers and catchment groups are leading a new wave of environmental care, says DairyNZ.
OPINION: The Government's decision to stop local authorities going ahead with reviews of district and regional plans makes sense for several reasons.
With June ending and following the most upbeat National Fieldays for several years, tractor dealers are reporting a lift in sales.
Global trade wars and uncertain tariff regimes could play into the hands of many New Zealand exporters, according to Gareth Coleman ANZ’s Head of Trade & Supply Chain.
The long running trade dispute between NZ and Canada appears to be over.
Herd improvement company LIC has ended the 2024-25 financial year in a strong position - debt-free and almost quadrupling its net profit.
