Tuesday, 01 June 2021 13:30

Nervous Nellie's

Written by The Hound

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OPINION: The Hound understands that there is a fair bit of consternation and nerves among the big farming lobby groups - namely Feds, Beef+Lamb and DairyNZ - that they are 'losing the room' in terms of farmer support.

These groups have copped a lot of flak from their levypayers for being 'too cosy' with the Government and not pushing back hard enough on policies like greenhouse gas, water and other proposed reforms.

This is particularly worrisome for Beef+Lamb, which is facing a levy vote later this year.

Things have got so bad that Groundswell NZ recently came out and denied it was not trying to undermine the farming levy collecting industry bodies.

Groundswell spokesman Bryce McKenzie warned farmers that, "if levy votes are lost, it could be quite damaging to farming."

However, he did go on to emphasise that the farming sector needed "one, strong, united voice".

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