Editorial: Agri's mojo is back
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.
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
The avalanche of regulations around water and environment unleashed by the previous Labour government have been labelled by farmers as unworkable and confusing.
So, when the coalition Government last week announced a Bill to fast-track amendments to the Resource Management Act, farmers were overjoyed.
Federated Farmers went to the extent of saying that the announcement by RMA Minister Chris Bishop marks the end of ‘the war on farming’.
The rules imposed by Labour were harsh, to say the least.
Winter grazing rules would have required over 10,000 farmers around the country to get a resource consent just to feed a winter crop to their stock. Even if farmers had complied, the councils wouldn’t have had the capacity to process that number of consents.
Then there’s the flawed stock exclusion rules that currently require extensive sheep and beef properties to fence their waterways by July 2025. Fencing streams on extensive properties with low stocking rates has the potential to cost farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars, for very little environmental gain.
Federated Farmers freshwater spokesperson Colin Hurst says these impractical rules have been a complete nightmare since the day they were introduced and farmers will be pleased to see the back of them.
He rightly points out that farmers are always looking to improve environmental outcomes on their properties and to care for the land, but regulation needs to be practical, pragmatic and affordable.
Sadly, the current rules failed on all three counts – completely disconnected from the reality of farming, devoid of all commonsense, and heaped on a tonne of unnecessary costs for farmers.
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being encouraged to cast their votes in the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board directors' election.
A unique discovery by a Palmerston North science company, Biolumic, looks set to revolutionise the value and potential of ryegrass and the secret is the application of ultraviolet (UV) light.
A New Zealand company is redefining the global collagen game by turning New Zealand sheepskin into a world-class health product.
With further extreme weather on the way, ANZ Bank is encouraging farmers and business owners impacted by the recent extreme weather and flooding to seek support if they need it.
New Zealand must continue to educate Chinese consumers about the unique qualities of its red meat products and how they differ from competitors, says Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dan Boulton.
There are opportunities outside the farmgate for young farmers to further develop their skills, says 2025 Primary Industries Emerging Leader Award winner Bridie Virbickas.
OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.