Burning march fails to fire

The march followed several weeks of letters and an editorial in the Ashburton Guardian on the practice. Organiser Vince Leonard was said to be “gutted” by the low showing. “It was an opportunity wasted but I told the people who were there that they had balls to put up with the way we were sworn at and abused,” he said, after the march and subsequent meeting turned ugly.

Federated Farmers Grain’s Mid Canterbury chairman David Clark told Rural News  he didn’t attend the march or meeting, but the event highlights why cropping farmers need to use best practice when burning, and regard it as a privilege, not a right.

“I’ve spoken at length with the organisers of this protest and I am quite happy to front at any public meeting as long as there is some formality to it, with an appropriate chair.

“Everybody has a right to protest but farmers’ concerns are not going to be best served by engaging in a slanging match in the main street of Ashburton.”

The late, cool harvest concentrated the burning season into a handful of days this year, in not always ideal conditions, generating more smoke than normal.

Agronomically burning is a valuable tool and without it more agrichemical, nitrogen fertiliser and diesel would be used, he points out.