Death knell?– Rural News :
Hopefully agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has metaphorically penned his own resignation letter with the release of his government’s agricultural emissions policy.
O’Connor has announced plans to measure and tax agricultural emissions at the farm level to meet the Government’s reduction targets.
The tax plan could not come at a worse time – when the dairy payout has dropped $1.25kg/MS and sheep and beef prices are at five year lows. O’Connor claims that overseas customers have set high reduction targets on emissions, which means that NZ farmers will have to reduce their emissions in order to sell to these markets.
Yet despite all of O’Connor’s – and others’ – talk about overseas customers demanding emissions reductions and a willingness to pay a premium for this, we have yet to see any sign of such premiums or refusals to take our products. . .
Scientists make breakthrough in battle against soil nitrates – Jared McCulloch :
Scientists are uncovering surprising results in a quest to reduce nitrate leaching from winter grazing into our waterways.
The annual farming practice is vital for farmers, particularly in the South Island, as the grass barely grows to feed stock.
Fodder beet or swedes are grown to keep livestock with food in the colder months, but it’s what can happen to the land during and after grazing that can be difficult.
Paddocks are usually left for months to dry out before they can be used again. . .
Lower milk price forecasts dampen feed crop prospects :
The impacts of cuts to forecast milk payments to the nation’s 12,000 dairy farms will ripple across the wider economy, and the arable sector will also feel it, Federated Farmers Arable Vice-President Grains, Andrew Darling, says.
The July AIMI (Arable Industry Marketing Initiative) survey shows sown and intended sowing feed wheat and feed barley crops are down 6% and 15% respectively on last season.
“There’s probably still a reasonable market for feed grain in the North Island but it’s hard to transport South Island grain up there at a reasonable price, especially in competition with Australian grain.
“It’s an expensive bit of water that splits our country in half, unfortunately,” Darling said. . .
‘Feds could lead the way on wool’ – Annette Scott :
Consolidation is a must if New Zealand’s strong-wool industry is to thrive again, Federated Farmers Meat and Wool chair Toby Williams says.
“What we have got is silos and none are bringing returns to the farmer. We need contracts,” he said.
Contracts could build farmer confidence.
“I’m not saying $10, that’s pie in the sky, but $4 even, a kilogram for your wool meeting required specification – growers get a guaranteed price and the buyer and the end user get guaranteed quality of product. . .
Wool carpet in classrooms campaign gets carpet maker Bremworth support :
Some rural schools are turning to community fundraising so they can put wool carpet in their classrooms – spurning the government’s offer of synthetic flooring tiles.
And carpet manufacturer Bremworth has come on board with a Wool in Education Initiative.
In July, the Ministry of Education announced plans to outfit almost 800 rural schools with $8 million worth of synthetic tiles. It was part of a renovation programme for schools.
But North Canterbury Rotherham School principal Cheryl Barbara said using synthetic carpet was “inconsistent” with a sustainability doctrine and was “insulting” to the rural sector. . .
Farmers in England unsure what to plant as post-Brexit payments delayed – Helena Horton :
Farmers in England are being left without crucial nature recovery payments and unsure of what to plant after delays to a post-Brexit scheme.
The sustainable farming incentive (SFI) is part of a package of payments that is replacing the EU’s common agricultural policy, which paid land managers for the amount of land in their care. The aim of the SFI is to pay farmers to look after nature, soil and other public goods, rather than simply for farming and owning land.
The 2023 scheme was supposed to roll out in August but is being delayed, and farmers are not expected to receive any payments until 2024. Because the rules regarding SFI payments have changed since last year, land managers are unsure whether to continue with the scheme from 2022, or to follow guidance laid out in proposals for the 2023 scheme.
This is the latest blow to the post-Brexit scheme. Last year, only 224 farmers in England received payments under SFI. Just a tiny fraction of the payments went to farmers in 2022. While subsidies were cut by an average of 22% for farmers last year, the money paid out through SFI equated to only 0.44% of the total funding plan for farmers, leaving them asking where the money is going.
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