Sheep industry 'needs leadership'

Timms says there is widespread and growing concern in the community about the dire situation of the sheep meat industry. She planned to discuss her concerns to the Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy yesterday.

"The minister needs to recognise that if the issues facing the sheep meat industry are not addressed the Government will face barriers in meeting its economic growth agenda, and regional councils will struggle to meet the water quality goals of the National Policy Statement on freshwater," she says.

Regional councils seek to balance environmental and economic gains, she says. Southland and many other regions around the country are facing water quality issues as a result of elevated nitrogen (N) levels. Recent estimates put the average losses of N/per hectare/per year in the Southland area at about: Dairy platform 30; intensive sheep/beef/deer farms 12; extensive sheep/beef/deer farms 6; dairy support (intensive winter grazing) 55

"It is clear that the generally less extensive nature of red meat farming really helps to lower the overall environmental footprint in rural Southland," says Timms.

Timms says she isn't asking for the Government to directly intervene, but she is pushing the case for national leadership because it will be difficult to meet the targets of the NPS without the sheep meat industry having long-term viability.