increase font size
Federated Farmers spokesperson for pest management Chris Allen.
Federated Farmers fully backs the target to completely eradicate introduced predators from New Zealand by 2050 announced by the government.
The Feds agree with the government that emerging technologies are now making such an ambitious target possible.
This project will require a team effort from scientists, farmers, government, politicians and rural communities.
"Our farmers live and work in our natural environment every day and in that sense are stewards of a significant part of New Zealand's land," says Federated Farmers spokesperson for pest management Chris Allen.
"Farmers already spend a substantial amount of money on pest management. They also pay levies to OSPRI, to control vectors of tuberculosis, such as stoats and possums.
"But while that expenditure has made significant progress it would take billions of dollars to achieve eradication using current technologies."
The government is right that new emerging science has now made a predator free New Zealand possible. Such an achievement will have considerable benefit for conservation and the primary industries.
"Scientists in the Biological Heritage Challenge have an important role to think outside the square and develop new science for this task," says Allen.
This announcement comes only weeks after delegates at the Federated Farmers annual conference, voted in support of researching gene driver technology in the control and eradication of pests.
"Federated Farmers considers that we need access to all the tools in the toolbox by refining our current tools and developing smart new innovative ones if we are to achieve such an important goal.
"We are excited to see New Zealand take on this hugely ambitious project, but we are not yet satisfied that the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge is being adequately funded for the task.
"Federated Farmers want an assurance that the money will be made available to investigate new strategies and technologies," says Allen.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Federated Farmers says new legislation replacing the Resource Management Act will cut red tape, unlock investment and help grow New Zealand's export-led economy, after the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill passed their third reading in Parliament yesterday.
Leading figures from the major political parties will be questioned on their primary sector policies at the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, on 30 September.
Will the good times last? That's one of the key issues to come out of the latest Federated Farmers confidence survey.
Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers arable chair, Bevan Lill, said Beef + Lamb NZ data indicated that for the last six years, the average arable return on investment was about 0.8% while inflation ran about 4% - so the average arable farm was going backwards at about 3% a year.
Pāmu has released its FY26 Integrated Annual Report, reporting a Net Operating Profit of $113 million, more than double the $49 million recorded in FY25.
Meat Industry Association data, released alongside the Red Meat Sector conference in Wellington, shows export value climbing across the US, China, UK and Canada.
Applications are set to open for the 2027 Zanda McDonald Award, a trans-Tasman award recognised for identifying and fast-tracking talented young leaders in agriculture and agribusiness.
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (the College) and Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network are calling for investment in a proposed new training pathway for rural GPs, warning that many rural practices are struggling to recruit while a large share of the existing workforce nears retirement.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Synlait has swung to second-half profit as operations stabilise, but the dairy processor still posted a $75.4m annual loss.
OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…
