increase font size
Damien O'Connor.
The passing of the Farm Debt Mediation and NAIT laws last night shows the Government’s commitment to work alongside and help farmers, says Ag Minister Damien O’Connor.
“These new laws are necessary to address the previous Government’s nine years of neglecting the big issues facing the primary sector,” he says.
“By passing these pieces of legislation the Coalition Government has helped ensure the future sustainability of the sector.”
The Farm Debt Mediation Act supports the mental, emotional and financial wellbeing of farmers and farming families who find themselves in financial strife. Total farm debt in New Zealand is $62.8 billion – up 270% on 20 years ago.
O’Connor says the failure of a farm business can lead to the farmer and their family losing both their business and their home.
“For many rural communities the failure of one farm can have a ripple effect through those communities and the regional economy.
“Farmers who operate a family business often don’t have the resources to negotiate their own protections when dealing with lenders.
“This scheme will help to provide certainty for those facing the hard challenge of paying back debt. It’ll provide a way to help them get through, so they can get on with running their businesses and supporting their families.”
O’Connor said the ongoing efforts to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis highlighted flaws in the NAIT scheme.
“We’ve done our best to make compliance easier for farmers, including transition periods where possible to help farmers adjust. Combined, these steps will see real changes for the industry and improvements to our biosecurity system.”
“We had great cooperation from industry to help improve the Act quickly and efficiently, and now we have a NAIT system that’s fit for the future.”
Overseas Trade Minister Todd McClay says he's working constructively with the Labour Party in the hope they will endorse the free trade agreement (FTA) with India when the agreement comes before Parliament for ratification.
OPINION: Staying with politics, with less than nine months to go before the general elections, there’s confusion in the Labour Party when it comes to working with the divided Maori Party.
OPINION: Many Kiwis know that the decisions we make today will shape our future for years to come. With the election now announced for 7 November, the country faces a critical question: What choice will we make for our future?
A Taranaki farmer and livestock agent who illegally swapped NAIT tags from cows infected with a bovine disease in an attempt to sell the cows has been fined $15,000.
When it comes to international trade, politicians from all sides of the aisle are united, says Labour's trade spokesman Damien O'Connor.
DairyNZ Chair Tracy Brown has seen a lot of change since she first started out in the dairy sector, with around one-third of dairy farmers now women.
Castle Ridge Station has been named the Regional Supreme Winner at the Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
The South Island Dairy Event has announced Jessica Findlay as the recipient of the BrightSIDE Scholarship Programme, recognising her commitment to furthering her education and future career in the New Zealand dairy industry.
New Zealand and Chile have signed a new arrangement designed to boost agricultural cooperation and drive sector success.
New DairyNZ research will help farmers mitigate the impacts of heat stress on herds in high-risk regions of the country.
Budou are being picked now in Bridge Pā, the most intense and exciting time of the year for the Greencollar team – and the harvest of the finest eating grapes is weeks earlier than expected.
OPINION: A mate of yours truly reckons rural Manawatu families are the latest to suffer under what he calls the…
OPINION: If old Winston Peters thinks building trade relations with new nations, such as India, isn't a necessary investment in…
