Pandemic fall-out weighs heavily on farmer confidence:
Spurred by COVID-19 repercussions, farmer confidence in economic conditions has slumped to the lowest level since 2009, the Federated Farmers July Farm Confidence Survey shows.
Responses from 1,725 farmers saw a net 28.6% of them rate current economic conditions as bad, a 53-point drop on the January survey when a net 24.6% considered them to be good.
“It’s pretty grim looking forward as well,” Feds President and commerce spokesperson Andrew Hoggard says.
A net 58.7% of the farmers who responded expect general economic conditions to worsen over the next 12 months, a 17-point reduction on our survey six months ago when a net 41.5% expected them to worsen. . .
Let’s see how the milk flows – and to whom – after DIRA changes are included in a deluge of new laws – Point of Order:
Latest from the Beehive
While the news media have been preoccupied with matters such as the resignation of a National MP and sacking of a Labour minister in recent days, Parliament has been getting on with legislating. It has passed a tanker-load of bills, since we last posted a Beehive Bulletin, including legislation that government the economically vital dairy industry and Fonterra’s role in it.
The Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill amends legislation passed almost 20 years ago to enable the creation of Fonterra and promote the efficient operation of dairy markets in New Zealand.
But the dairy sector has changed considerably since 2001 and the amendments made to “this very aged legislation” ensure this regulatory regime puts the sector in the best possible position in a post-COVID world, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. . .
Farmers farming for today, thinking about tomorrow – Hugh Collins:
Environmental care and protection is a topic never far from the forefront of public and media discourse.
And more often than not the farming sector finds itself in the firing line over carbon emissions and pollution.
Yet Paul Edwards believes the vast majority of farmers have always been good custodians of the land.
“They are doing their best to look after their environmental footprint on the land and to make it sustainable for future generations,” he said. . .
Warm dry conditions help shape up kūmara: – Carol Stiles:
Cooks will have to peel fewer gnarly kūmara this year thanks to a very unusual growing season.
Country Life producer Carol Stiles was in the kūmara capital recently and called in to see Andre de Bruin, who has been growing kūmara around Dargaville for 25 years.
This season has been one out of the box for kūmara growers like Andre de Bruin.
It has resulted in an “absolutely stunning” crop, largely due to the heat and the big dry in the North.
He says the season has been one of the most interesting kūmara growers have ever had – from the extraordinary drought to the lessons of the Covid lockdown.
“The drought early on was very stressful,” he says. . .
Support for flood-affected farmers:
Heavy rain affecting parts of Northland over the weekend is another blow to farmers recovering from the recent drought.
To support farmer decision-making as they deal with silt-damaged pastures, hungry stock and damaged infrastructure, Beef + lamb New Zealand has put together flood-specific management resources.
These include a list of immediate priorities and action plans, how to deal with silt, health and safety and guidelines for volunteers working on farm post-flood.
Veronica Gillett, Extension Manager for Northern North Island says recent rainfall in Northland has been powerful and destructive. . .
Implementing a holistic grazing plan – Annelie Coleman:
Sandy Speedy is regarded as one of the pioneers of holistic beef cattle production in South Africa. Annelie Coleman visited him and his daughter, Jennifer, on their cattle ranch between Vryburg and Kuruman to learn more about their ‘wagon wheel’ grazing system.
The Speedy family’s journey towards holistic grazing management started in the 1960s. At the time, the likes of botanist John Acocks, and red meat producer, Len Howell, were championing the counter-intuitive claim that grazing in South Africa was deteriorating because of overgrazing and under-stocking.
“Farmer’s Weekly at the time was filled with correspondence debating the validity, or otherwise, of the claim,” recalls Sandy Speedy.
It was at this time that Rhodesian (now Zimbabwe) grassland specialist, Allan Savory, entered the discussion, and gave it new impetus with his concept of holistic grazing management. . .
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