Quotes of the week

29/04/2024

The Government we have today campaigned on delivering tax cuts to the people. They said that if they were elected, they would increase after-tax pay for the squeezed middle by shifting income tax brackets.

And they won. So deliver they must.One thing this country would do well to have is a return to old-school political values. Values that see a newly elected government doing everything possible, despite the odds against it, to honour the promises it made to the electorate.

Delivery against those promises, alongside our overall wellbeing, should be the standard by which a government is judged. –  Bruce Cotterill

Restoring faith in government means that a government keeps the promises on which it was elected. It means a government that prioritises work on the things that matter most to the majority of the electorate. Those things in all likelihood are education, health, crime, transport, and equality of treatment under the law. – Bruce Cotterill

We need a government that delivers on the above while watching the cost base and ensuring that every dollar of taxpayer money spent is spent well.

The last Government prioritised reckless but headline-grabbing promises in terms of housing, poverty, crime and health. They then filled government offices with thousands of additional bureaucrats to give the impression that they were doing something. They increased taxes and borrowed millions to pay for it all. And they ultimately achieved very little.

Most of us would want the opposite.

So now we have a government with a well-publicised and transparent list of things to do, a list that is shared with the public, updated quarterly, and with items that are ticked off in a public manner along the way. They’re seeking to reduce the number of people working in government departments to get the country’s cost base down. And, they’re trying to keep their promise to reduce taxes. – Bruce Cotterill

At a time when both the media and our politicians have major issues of trust, both groups need to double down on recovering the confidence of the people. The best way to do that is for government to be transparent, to honour their promises, and for media to report their activities with accuracy and openness and without distortion. – Bruce Cotterill

We can argue that tax cuts are a stimulus, making it more difficult in an economy that’s fighting inflation. And we can argue that tax cuts rob money from worthwhile government initiatives. Both are good arguments. But we have to remember that the Government was voted in with a series of policies that included the changes to our taxes.

It’s what they promised to do. – Bruce Cotterill

Government is meant to be about the people who comprise a community rather than the politicians themselves. Tax cuts are for the people. In this case, those people will primarily be low- to middle-income earners, the people who work hard all day for modest returns. As “tax bracket creep” has evolved, these people have seen their modest pay increases subjected to increasing levels of taxation for years. These people are the Government’s “core business” and they need and deserve some relief.

Taxation should be about collecting the minimum amount of money from all taxpayers, in a manner that is fair and equitable, in order to enable the delivery of essential and desirable services, firstly for our people to prosper, and secondly, so that we play an appropriate role in the international community.

It may surprise many to learn that the Government is not in business for the various interest groups with an agenda to run or a cause to champion. More and more is being asked of our government. There are already too many things that government does that they shouldn’t. – Bruce Cotterill

Indeed, the quickest way for our Government to get back on top of matters financial is to get out of the things we shouldn’t be doing. We have government bureaucracies that get bigger and bigger every year. In this writer’s opinion, the cost of that bureaucracy is the single biggest issue facing the New Zealand economy. – Bruce Cotterill

The quest for efficiency across government will need to be a multi-term focus if we are to get our cost base back to something that is sustainable. – Bruce Cotterill

Good government is not about building bureaucracies that get bigger and more expensive every year. It is about getting outcomes for the society that government is intended to serve. Big bureaucracies fall into habits of doing business with each other. That is not how outcomes are generated. We need a better, simpler and less costly way.

Thankfully, it feels like we have a government that is focused on finding that better way. I get the impression that Luxon and Willis, despite the odds that are against them, are trying desperately hard to deliver on their promises while making government more efficient. – Bruce Cotterill

However, if we are to recover a level of trust in our parliamentary system, and the politicians who occupy the House on our behalf, those politicians must act in the interests of the people who put them there.

And that means that they must, without exception, deliver on the promises they make. – Bruce Cotterill

Ironically, the media they wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to expanding social justice. The challenge now, for these wise members of the academy, is to explain why the media they wanted is not what so many of its readers, listeners and viewers wanted. – Chris Trotter

All the “summits” in the world will avail their organisers nothing, if all they are willing to listen to are their own fears. – Chris Trotter

I found the term “at risk” in this connection both odd and significant. By “at risk of becoming” was meant, presumably, statistically more likely to become. It is a term taken from medical parlance: for example, doctors speak of obese people (or increasingly of “people with obesity” or even of “people living with obesity”) being at risk of becoming diabetic, or of people with high blood pressure being at risk of having a stroke or heart attack.

Criminality, and ultimately all human conduct whatsoever, is here conflated with disease, and thereby becomes a disease in itself. For example, I am at high risk of going into a bookshop and buying a book. I can no more help it than can a person with a family history of, say, gout, help having a higher-than-average chance of developing gout. Statistical chances rule the world, including the human world; besides which, for me at my age to buy more books is irrational, the sign both of a compulsion and an obsession—which, as everyone knows, are diseases. The only way that these diseases can be cured is for the government to give me so many books that I will no longer feel the compulsion to buy. –  Theodore Dalrymple 

Leniency is compassionate, severity cruel: such at any rate is the presumption of the intellectual middle classes, who, perhaps feeling guilty at their own good fortune, often inherited, by comparison with the classes from which criminals are usually drawn, find in making excuses for the latter, and in proposing lenient treatment of them, a way of demonstrating their generosity of spirit. I have rarely met such a person who has taken full cognisance of the fact that most of the victims of crime, as well as the perpetrators of it, are poor—relatively, that is. Most criminals are not great travellers: they rob, burgle and assault those around them, and since in the right circumstances they will readily admit that they have committed far more crimes than they have ever been accused of (borne out by, or compatible with, the fact that the police solve only a small proportion of crimes recorded by them), it follows that leniency is not necessarily compassionate, at least not if compassion is to be measured in part by its practical results and is not simply a warm, fuzzy feeling of self-congratulation at not being ungenerously punitive. – Theodore Dalrymple 

Welcome to another war of words between the greenies and the government over changes to the Resource Management Act.

With the poor old farmers stuck in the middle, just wanting the chance to be trusted to do the right thing when it comes to protecting the environment. And that’s what I think we should be doing.

You know how people have this concept of Mother Nature and how it’s all peace and love and milk and honey and bees buzzing and gentle rivers and all of that? It’s amazing, isn’t it, how quickly all that goes out the window if the milk and honey brigade don’t like something?   – John MacDonald

But, unlike climate activists and politicians, I’m willing to accept that things aren’t black and white. Which is why I think it’s time we just trusted farmers to do the right thing and let them get on with it.  – John MacDonald

Firstly, I’ve got friends who are farmers and every time I go and see them, I can see that they just want to do the right thing. But, instead, they’ve had governments and government departments behaving like helicopter parents and watching their every move just in case they do something wrong. And that’s nuts.

And secondly, show me a farmer who wants to poo in their own nest.

They don’t. And this is where the greenies lose it. Because if they think farmers want to destroy the natural environment on their properties for short-term financial gain, then they know nothing about how it all works.

Farms are businesses, yes. But they’re also assets. And why would anyone want to do anything to damage their asset? They wouldn’t.

And that’s why I think that, instead of pulling farmers to bits, we should be trusting them to do the right thing.   – John MacDonald

And if you think the Resource Management Act is how you sort out muppets, then you might want to think again. So, we can’t do anything about the muppets.  

What we can do, though, is say to the farmers who aren’t muppets, that we trust them to do the right thing – and leave them to it.  – John MacDonald

What’s happened today will shock a lot of people, because over the last few years we’ve got used to Prime Minsters just putting up with their ministers doing a bad job or behaving badly in public.

It took forever for Hipkins or Ardern to demote the under-performers, and they suffered for it – public opinion of them was tainted.

That is clearly not how Chris Luxon operates, and it’s a good thing.

Because who doesn’t want performance from the people that we pay to run the country? – Heather du Plessis-Allan

If the state does not spend more than it collects and does not issue (money), there is no inflation. This is not magic. – Javier Milei 

Surely we didn’t miss the irony on climate change?

On the day it’s announced we have reduced our emissions now for three years in a row, so good on us, the very next day Transpower, the people who get the electricity into your lounge, tell us yet again that this Winter has issues and peak load and demand might be problematic.  – Mike Hosking

Here is a simple rule of thumb; to not have enough power in 2024 is simply not good enough and it should be seen as an abdication of responsibility. 

The reason we don’t have enough is quite openly admitted. It’s because the renewables are not voluminous enough and not reliable enough to cover the growing demand. 

The transition hasn’t transitioned to the point where we can largely leave fossils behind. 

So, here’s the line for me. Save the planet all you want, even if it is futile given China and India aren’t as interested. But don’t get so hell bent about it that the heater isn’t on in July when its -3 degrees. That’s not a first world country and it’s not a first world approach.  – Mike Hosking

If we don’t have enough power now, how do we power EV’s? How do we power generative AI, the so-called future? It’s a future that requires 10x more power than a Google search.

Talk about cart before the horse.

When we still struggle Winter in, Winter out to do the basics we have allowed ideology to hijack reality.

That is not the future, of the future.  – Mike Hosking

My view is that the State should have nothing to do with broadcasting. The recent optics surrounding the Public Interest Journalism Fund which has given rise to the perception – I emphasise perception – that media were promoting Government messaging has done enormous damage to the media as an institution. It is best that the State cuts its ties with broadcasting in the interests of broadcasters and indeed its own interests. – David Harvey

I would put it like this: while increased wealth above a certain level is not guaranteed to increase happiness, or what is now routinely called human flourishing, attempts to limit wealth to that level are almost guaranteed to result in increased human unhappiness. –  Theodore Dalrymple

I take it that this implies that equality of opportunity is, or would be, a desirable goal: but on the contrary, it seems to me to be a terrible one, among the most terrible that could well be imagined. This is despite the fact that almost no one has a word to say against it. Equality of opportunity is as morally untouchable as grandmothers or kindness to animals. – Theodore Dalrymple

The formal equality of opportunity that we already have is the only form of it that is not inherently tyrannical. Nor is it real, actual equality of opportunity, since the life chances of people born in different circumstances are very different. This fact is not at all an argument against it, however, when one considers what real, actual equality of opportunity would entail.

In the first place, the complete absence of opportunity, provided it were evenly spread, would satisfy the demand for equality of opportunity. Perhaps it could never be entirely equal (someone would have to suppress all that opportunity, after all), but there is little doubt that, by comparison with our present situation, overall equality of opportunity would be increased by the maximal suppression of opportunity.

It is hardly to be supposed that anyone, except an aspiring totalitarian dictator, would want such a thing.  – Theodore Dalrymple

But how does inequality of opportunity arise? The first and most obvious cause is in genetic endowment. Differing genetic endowment is unfair, but not unjust. For example, I should like to have been born more handsome than I was, but there is no one I can blame for this unfortunate fact, and nothing that I can do about it. What goes for looks goes for other attributes too numerous to mention.

There is no way this genetic unfairness can be abolished, except by universal cloning to ensure that all start with the same genetic endowment. From the point of equality of opportunity, it does not matter whether that endowment is good or bad, for everyone would be in the same genetic boat. – Theodore Dalrymple

It is certainly not fair that some people are born into nurturing environments and others into the very opposite. Moreover, it is possible that if environments could be to some degree equalised, marginal differences would become more important. The only way to avoid the unfairness caused by environmental differences is to make the environment in which children are raised (now clones, of course) absolutely identical in all respects, the equivalent of a battery farm. Only thus can the famous level playing field be achieved. Such an upbringing, of course, would make North Korea seem like a school for individuality. – Theodore Dalrymple

On the other hand, it ought to be possible to provide every child with opportunity, though not equal opportunity, for example by instituting good schools that nurture talent and build character. How this is best done is a matter of trial and error, and of experience. No system will ever be so perfect that “no child will be left behind,” to use the cant phrase. But while trying to provide opportunity for every child suggests practical solutions, aiming for something impossible like equality of opportunity supplies an excellent alibi for failure to do whatever is truly possible to give every child opportunity: for what is mere opportunity as a goal when compared to equality of opportunity? Have we no ambition? – Theodore Dalrymple

I have since been crystal clear about my concerns that women are being erased in this debate, and have always been clear that women do not have, nor have ever had, a penis. – Gillian Keegan

For several years, trans activist lobby groups pushed the use of phrases such as ‘trans women are women’ as a tactic to silence debate and fair questions about how gender self-identification clashes with women’s rights.

“Many didn’t recognise the dangers of these slogans early on, including politicians who doubtless thought they were simply supporting a good cause. It takes guts to publicly change your mind. Women’s rights and the safeguarding of children are serious issues that need to be addressed with clear and accurate language. – Maya Forstater

Dawn begins each day. Sunrise speaks to the promise of a better day. From a long-ago battlefield to this morning’s promise, we must leave this ground dedicated to making our worlds better. Then the men buried here will not have died in vain.

Yet we live in a troubled world, the worst in memory.

We have emerged from a global pandemic a more divided world. Regional instabilities and the chaos they create threaten the security of too many.

So we must all do more. Demand more. And deliver more.  – Winston Peters

You will create your own memories and draw your own lessons from being here. But we must all come together, as people and as nations, to do more to honour those who paid with their lives. 

We must protect and care for our young. We must reject and resist those who seek to conquer and control. We must always seek the path of peace. 

Then, and only then, will the men buried here not have died in vain.  –  Winston Peters

Next ANZAC day I’d like to see the news cameras get out of the cities, and come experience an ANZAC service in Dargaville, or Taihape, or Lumsden. Because regardless of nonsense in Wellington, in rural New Zealand We Will Remember Them. – Mark Cameron

Divisiveness seems to be the new aim of the game. Race, political beliefs and religion are all motivators in separating our people. People are more concerned with being correct and proving a point… This is where we can learn more from our ancestors –

They stood as brothers to fight for us. They could see the purpose greater than themselves and put aside their petty arbitrary differences. It makes me wonder what could be accomplished if we could do the same? – Jared Lasike 

We stand up that weak arguments have their say so they can be shown to be weak arguments, and strong arguments have their say so they can be shown to be strong arguments. It’s a dangerous view that free speech needs to be held back from hurting minorities. The first thing free speech does is protect the minorities.

If we’re going to live in this idea that everyone gets to have a say, that in a democracy everyone gets to participate in society equally, then we’re going to have to accept that if you disagree with someone or you consider their perspective offensive, or harmful, or belligerent, they still get a say. We have to have confidence in the fact that society as a whole can discern error from truth. –  Jonathan Ayling

If students are not resilient enough or mature enough to be able to deal in ideas – even those that they find uncomfortable – then maybe they shouldn’t be at university. – Jonathan Ayling

No man can become a woman. We need as a progressive society to be better at allowing individuals to be socially (because it’s society that’s dictating what is traditionally male/female characteristics) to be as masculine or feminine as they like. Again humans don’t change sex. – Sharron Davies

 

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Rural round-up

19/06/2023

New Zealand farmers should be celebrated for addressing climate change – Kate Acland :

Beef + Lamb New Zealand has been out on the road listening to farmers in a series of woolshed meetings over the past few weeks.

Clearly, many farmers are frustrated at the overwhelming wave of regulations coming down the pipeline.

The farmers that I talk to certainly aren’t anti-change. The weather, global market prices and evolving expectations from consumers mean change in our sector is constant.

Ultimately, the prevailing mood among many farmers in these woolshed meetings has been driven by the varying views about how our sector should play its role alongside the rest of the nation and global competitors in addressing climate change. . .

Farmers called Labour’s bluff ahead of the election – Heather du Plessis Allan :

New Zealand farmers have called Labour’s bluff on the climate tax Labour was planning, and they’ve won this thing. 

After yesterday’s announcement from the Nats, there is now very little chance- actually probably no chance at all- that Labour will put any kind of tax on farmers before the election.

Because what happened yesterday is that farmers got hope. All they have to do is hold on for the next four months.

Don’t agree to anything, wait until October, and if National and ACT get elected- and the three most recent polls say that’s what’s going to happen- they won’t be burdened with the enormous tax Labour was planning for them. . . .

Luxon makes pitch to farmers at Fieldays – Gerald Piddock :

National leader Christopher Luxon pitched his case to farmers at Fieldays ahead of this year’s election, saying the party is focusing on common sense policies that advance agriculture.

“We want our farmers to be the best in the world in the next 50 years and we back them big time,” he said.

“They need to be deeply valued and not treated as villains as they have done over the past six years as they have been by this government. We want to make sure we deliver on our climate emission goals but also, we want to make sure we deliver on growing our economy.”

He called the government’s decision to rule out a fertiliser tax proof of it “being all over the show” when it comes to agricultural policy. . . 

No more sheep jokes – Richard Harman :

It’s time to stop the sheep jokes; a Government report out this morning confirms what many have begun to realise over the past few years, and that is that sheep farming is a dying industry.

The annual Ministry of Primary Industries’ Situation and Outlook for the agriculture sector has a new set of forecasts showing meat and wool earnings will barely move over the next four years.

In contrast, dairy earnings are expected to rocket ahead by nearly 30 per cent, with dairy exports earning $2.40 for every dollar earned by beef, lamb and wool exports.

The importance of the dairy industry was underlined yesterday, with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins rejecting any idea of a fertiliser tax. . .

Genetically modified food could help fight against climate change – Andy Allan:

A gene-edited plant is thousands of times less risky biologically than a plant bred naturally. National’s policy suggests the long-term use and apparent safety of these plants overseas would mean they’d be considered safe to grow here

Opinion: The National Party has released its Harnessing Biotech policy on ending New Zealand’s effective ban on gene editing and the growing of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The policy itself is well-thought-out and offers some hope that a rational approach to new technologies in New Zealand may be around the corner.

It is also a pity that this is again a political issue. In a rational world, questions of whether to develop gene-edited crops or animals (or if gene editing should be used for medicine) should be about the evidence, the data, and whether there will be a big gain (health, social, environmental and economic) with low levels of risk. This would be on a case-by-case basis as recommended by the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification in 2001, before pressure groups successfully lobbied for a zero-GMO country approach.

Two developments have shifted the argument after 25 years of ‘debate’. The first is the development of the CRISPR-based gene-editing tool which was quickly adopted around the world, which allows for a very efficient way of making “nature-identical” changes to the genetics of an organism; single base pairs in the genome (made up of 100s of millions of base pairs) can be changed without adding any new DNA. . . 

Act to slash rural red tape :

“ACT will rein in the bloated bureaucratic beast that the Ministry for Primary Industries has become and get it back to basics and focused on supporting farmers to do what they do best”, says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron and ACT Candidate Andrew Hoggard.

ACT can reveal that MPI has 52 per cent – or 1,277 – more staff now than it did in 2017. The average salary at MPI is $101,700, so that’s about $130 million more in salary costs each year.

“MPI has grown by 52 per cent, but have farmers received 52 per cent better service from them? No. It’s feathering its own nest, taking on new and unnecessary functions, none of which make life for farmers any easier.

“The Labour Government’s answer to everything is more bureaucrats in Wellington, and it’s no different in the primary sector. . .

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Rural round-up

08/06/2023

Levy on fertiliser ruled out by farmers in the battle on climate change but that doesn’t mean rejection by government – Point of Order :

The government has looked at imposing a  tax  on  nitrogen fertiliser, used  heavily in NZ agriculture,   but yesterday Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor conceded he had  not  convinced  farming leaders  to go ahead with it.

ACT”s  Mark Cameron claimed credit in Parliament  for “killing” the  plan. Both Federated Farmers and DairyNZ have told ministers they oppose the idea.

Clearly O’Connor is in something  of  a  bind, for he has committed  the government to pricing  agriculture emissions – but he knows  how unpopular  this would make him, particularly in election year  when he will be  fighting to hold on to his largely rural electorate.

 So what will the answer be? That’s far from clear. . .

Labour must rule out fertliser tax:

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor must categorically rule out his punitive fertiliser tax and tell the farming sector that he is not thinking of any other silly ideas that will increase the price of food and put farmers out of business, National’s Agriculture and Trade spokesman Todd McClay says.

“Mr O’Connor has said that he has worked on a fertiliser tax which would see some South Island farmers paying the Labour government as much $17,000 more in tax each year.

“This week he has failed to clarify his position and said that while industry leaders had told him that a new tax would harm the productivity of Kiwi farmers, he refused to rule it out.

“Farmers have been hit extremely hard over the last 6 years by expensive rules and regulations imposed by the Labour Government. Farm inflation is at an all-time high and is only matched by significant increases in the cost of food. . . 

The Scientific argument for keeping meat on our menus – Liam Rātana :

With new diets cropping up seemingly every week touting different nutritional benefits and health-boosting effects, how do we know what’s actually good for us? Two scientists who have studied the bioavailability of nutrients found in meat explain why red meat can be a very important part of a balanced diet.

In a world where climate change, food security and health concerns dominate headlines, the efficacy and role of different proteins and adequate nutrients in our diets is a hot – and often contentious – topic. The global population is predicted to hit 10 billion people by 2060, credible forecasts expect crop demands to grow by more than 100% from 2000 to 2050, and overall food demand is also set to grow by 70% over the same period. However it happens, it’s clear that our food systems will need significant reinforcement if they’re to continue to sustain us into the future.

Professor Warren McNabb and Dr Nick Smith are two scientists with considerable form in this field, having contributed to a recently published paper examining meat with a bioavailability perspective – and for its current role in feeding the world. In that paper the two senior staff at Massey University’s groundbreaking Sustainable Nutrition Initiative hosted by the Riddet Institute came to the conclusion that meat currently plays a vital role in ensuring there is sufficient nutrition to meet the world’s needs. This research aligns with the recently published FAO report, which looks at how animal source food contributes to a healthy diet. We looked a little deeper at what’s going on here. . . 

Landmark legal challenge to mega irrigation scheme in Canterbury – Andrea Vance :

From above, it looks like a patchwork quilt of green. A large sweep of irrigated farmland that borders Canterbury’s Hakatere/Ashburton River.

This lush grass isn’t a happy, natural accident, but the result of a sophisticated network of pipes and ponds that delivers pressurised water from the vast, braided Rangitata River nearby to more than 200 farms across 30,000 hectares.

The water travels through centre pivot irrigators; hulking metal spans that decorate a circular watering pattern in the once-dry paddocks across the region.

Irrigation season ends as winter approaches. And the attention of the farmers who own shares in Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Ltd (ALIL) will turn to a high-stakes legal battle over . . 

Mānuka the buzz that a word makes – Sharon Brettkelly :

For years, New Zealand honey producers have been fighting for better protection of the word ‘mānuka’. But this week, they suffered another setback, with the Intellectual Property Office rejecting its trademark bid.

The Australians are calling it a common sense outcome, New Zealanders say it’s a huge blow in the battle to protect taonga species – and all native flora and fauna are now at risk.

Kiwi honey producers have lost the latest round in the fight over mānuka honey, after a bid to trademark it was rejected by the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand this week.

The office called it “a trans-Tasman tussle of extraordinary proportions”, and said in its ruling that it was “one of the most complex and long-running proceedings” it has handled. . . 

Young Otago sheep and beef farmers named 2023 national ambassadors for sustainable farming and growing :

Steven and Kellie Nichol of Auldamor in Otago have been announced as the 2023 National Ambassadors for Sustainable Farming and Growing and recipients of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy at the National Sustainability Showcase at Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington this evening.

Managed by Grant Bezett, Auldamor is primarily a sheep breeding and finishing operation, with additional cattle grazing, and carbon and production forestry.

Steven and Kellie are constantly evolving their farming business though diversification and adapting production systems, all while considering environmental impact. Their 1,498ha property is located at Clarks Junction, Otago. The Nichol family has been farming in the area since 1871, meaning they have a strong connection to the land and consider improvements and guardianship a priority.

In 2007, the Nichols leased 976ha from Steven’s parents and purchased it outright in 2010. In 2019, the farming operation was extended with an additional 522ha neighbouring lease block. During their tenure, Steven and Kellie have continually strived to improve, develop, expand and adapt the farming business. . . 

The Dutch farmers’ revolt is far from over – John Lee Shaw :

Last week, the European Commission gave the Dutch government the go-ahead to start buying out farms in order to meet the EU’s climate targets.

Under the European Green Deal of 2020, the EU plans to be climate neutral by 2050. As part of this, under the European Climate Law of 2021, the EU wants to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by a minimum of 55 per cent by 2030.

This has exerted a considerable amount of pressure on the Dutch government in particular. In turn, the government is now exerting pressure on farmers. That’s because Dutch farms have been blamed for the Netherlands’ high levels of greenhouse-gas emissions, especially nitrogen emissions, caused by fertilisers and cattle excrement. And so in 2022, the Dutch government put forward a set of agricultural reforms in order to meet the EU’s targets.

These proposals have sparked uproar among farmers. Many of the reforms would require cattle farmers to greatly reduce their livestock or to stop farming completely. The Dutch government’s own forecasts have estimated that approximately 3,000 farms might have to close. . .

 

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Rural round-up

25/08/2022

Dairy farmers hit hardest as fuel, fertiliser costs surge :

Cost inflation in the rural sector hit boiling point over the past year, but is expected to reduce to a simmer, an agricultural economist says.

Westpac senior agri-economist Nathan Penny said input prices across all farm and orchard types, skyrocketed 13.7 percent in the 12 months to June.

That rise came on top of a record high annual charge of 9.9 percent in June.

Penny said those increases were driven by several factors, but they were all essentials that farmers could not really do without. . . 

Farmers bearing the brunt of rising costs :

“If the Government wanted to try and lower prices at the checkout, it should reduce the regulatory burden that is rising production costs on farm,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and Ruawai Dairy Farmer Mark Cameron.

“Rabobank has warned that rising costs on-farm will flow into higher costs for consumers, while slimmer margins for farmers will also mean less spending within rural communities. They have also described farmer confidence as being the lowest on record since the pandemic began.

“Granted, some cost increases are driven by global issues, but the Government’s regulatory onslaught has a compounding effect that is totally unnecessary and makes life tougher for farmers. Not to mention the rampant inflation brought about by Labour’s economic mismanagement.

“Freshwater reforms, winter grazing rules, Zero Carbon Act, limiting migrant workers, other ideological climate policies, Significant Natural Areas, taxes on utes… The list goes on. Farmers have taken a hammering from this government. . . 

 

Calls for hold on winter grazing rules :

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has called for winter grazing rules to be put on hold until November 2023.

Under the new regulations, which were released late last year, farmers who graze livestock on an annual forage crop over winter, and do not meet a range of permitted activity criteria, are required to either gain a certified Freshwater Farm Plan or to apply for resource consent from 1 November 2022.

The industry good organisation, along with DairyNZ and Federated Farmers, wrote to Environment Minister David Parker, calling for a delay and asking him to work with the sector on a practical solution in the interim.

It’s not the first time B+LNZ have raised the issue. . . 

Safer Farms welcomes new CEO :

Agricultural industry safety group Safer Farms is excited to introduce its new Chief Executive Officer, Dr Lyndsey Dance.

Dr Lyndsey Dance takes up her new role in September following seven years at Stats NZ, most recently on the Executive Leadership Team as the General Manager of Strategy and Investment.

She is the first Chief Executive Officer of Safer Farms and comes onboard as the group finalises its Farm Without Harm strategy to protect farming people from preventable harm, every day.

The agriculture sector is one of the most dangerous places for New Zealanders to work, with high harm statistics and 17 workplace deaths a year. . . 

Support a disease outbreak response by signing up to MYOSPRI:

Sheep farmers are being encouraged to play their part in protecting the industry from exotic diseases by signing up to the new online portal MyOSPRI.

Over 1000 sheep farmers have already ditched paper-based Animal Status Declarations (ASDs) and are now using MyOSPRI to send both farm-to-farm and farm-to-meat processor electronic Animal Status Declarations (eASDs).

The eASDs provide accurate, reliable and readily accessible data about movements of sheep mobs and where farms and other places animals have been or are located.

In any future response, rapid access to accurate information about animal movements will be vital for minimising the size of any potential future outbreak. . . 

 

 

Farmers get opportunity to tune into top minds :

This month farmers have the opportunity to access the knowledge of some of their industry’s leading thinkers, in a new podcast series covering everything from grazing to governance.

“The Tune Up” is produced by farm reporting software company, Trev. Formed in 2018, Trev is designed to help better collate, organise, and report on critical farm KPIs to provide owners, staff, rural professionals, and shareholders with actionable farm business information and insights for decision making.

CEO Scott Townshend says the podcast series has provided an opportunity for Trev to tap into its deep network of respected industry leaders, happy to share their knowledge.

“I’m sure everybody will recognise some or even all of the podcast guests. But for many of us, having access or the time off-farm to chat with these people is difficult so it’s great to be able to share their wisdom and insights with a wider audience.” . . 

 

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Rural round-up

19/08/2022

Better methane measurement will make an impact – David Anderson:

Recognition is urgently needed on a new measure for short and long-lived greenhouse gases and their impact on global warming.

That was the strong message given to attendees at the recent Red Meat Sector Conference by Dr Frank Mitloehner of the University of California Davis – a world expert on livestock emissions research.

He explained how the measure of GWP (100) – the matrix used to calculate the impact of different gas emissions on warming for the past 30 years – is “problematic” when methane levels are falling.

“It has real strong limitations when livestock numbers are constant and/or falling and methane is being reduced.” . .

Call for changes to GE laws – Leo Argent:

New research shows that New Zealanders are becoming more open to the use of genetic engineering advances to progress our agriculture sector.

Christchurch-based survey and product development company Research First recently published the results of a survey on the use of GE in NZ. It found the use of gene editing in humans for medical and disease prevention purposes was viewed in an overwhelmingly positive manner. Meanwhile, although it still had majority support, the research found less backing for gene editing to improve biodiversity and farm health.

ACT spokesman Mark Cameron says New Zealand needs to liberalise its laws on genetic engineering to allow our agricultural industry to “lead, not lag”.

“ACT has always said if we want to get serious about reducing agriculture emissions we should be looking at technological advancements like this before taxing and destocking.” . .

Carbon farming rocket has taken off – Keith Woodford:

Nothing matches carbon-farming economics on sheep and beef land

This last week I spent two days in Rotorua at the New Zealand carbon-forestry conference where I was also one of the speakers. Both I and others presented perspectives on the path ahead for this new industry. There were close to 300 attendees plus an international online audience.

Although there was diversity of perspective as to how the industry might develop, I sensed no doubt that we all saw ourselves as being involved in something big that, one way or another, is transformational for New Zealand

Most of the attendees were either forestry people already in the business, or alternatively service-industry people who either are already or in future want to be part of this new industry. There were also some Government and Climate Change Commission people there to help explain the current regulatory framework.  . . 

 

Pork sector releases plans of its own :

Alternative to ‘unworkable’ government plans has support of industry, says NZPork 

New Zealand’s pork sector has come up with an alternative to what it sees as unworkable plans proposed by the government.

They include reducing the maximum time farrowing crates can be used from the current 33 days to no more than seven, increasing the minimum space allowance for grower pigs and eliminating the use of mating stalls for housing sows.

The changes would place New Zealand’s standards beyond those required in the United Kingdom, European Union, United States, Canada, Australia and China – which collectively produce most of the world’s pork and supply most of the pork exported to NZ. . . 

Visiting a country where they love their farmers – Alan Emerson:

Alan Emerson spoke to a few Aussie farmers about taxing burping and farting cows and they suggested he must have been drinking.

We’re currently in Australia and it is great to be here after the winter we’ve experienced. 

Boringly, we go to Port Douglas, north of Cairns, and stay in a serviced one-bedroom apartment complete with a full kitchen, bathroom and laundry. 

Having done the maths, there’s not a lot of cost differential between a holiday in Port Douglas and one in Queenstown. . . 

Cream rises to the top in dairy property sector :

The latest Bayleys’ Rural Market Update for the dairy sector compiled by its Insights & Data team points to buyer confidence, buoyant demand, and a positive outlook for the 12 months ahead on the back of strong long-run milk prices and global demand for New Zealand products.

Last financial year, Bayleys transacted over 100 dairy property deals – more than one-third of the total dairy farms sold nationwide.

In releasing the report, Bayleys’ national director rural, Nick Hawken said REINZ figures show the total value of dairying land sold across New Zealand exploded in the 12 months from 1st April 2021-31st March 2022, to $1.524bn – more than double the value sold in the 2020-2021 period.

“In total, 40,958ha of dairying land was sold nationwide in 2021-2022 according to REINZ. . . 

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Rural round-up

01/06/2022

No Free lunch! – Rural News:

The ink was barely dry on the Government’s newly released emissions reductions plan before the whining began.

“Agriculture – New Zealand’s largest emitting sector – has got off scot-free, again!” the whiners cried. “And it is getting $339m for a new Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions, despite the sector not paying any money into the Emissions Trade Scheme.”

On the surface, that may be true. However, you only need to dig a little deeper to see there are no easy answers to agriculture’s emissions profile.

New Zealand is unique in that almost half of the country’s greenhouse gases come from the agricultural sector. However, as has been shown in the wake of Covid and the demise of NZ’s once bustling tourism sector, it’s our dairy, meat, horticulture and other primary produce that this country now relies on for income. . . 

Landcorp land better off with Kiwi farmers :

“State-owned enterprises shouldn’t be competing with Kiwi businesses, and there’s no greater example of this than Landcorp,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.

“The Government has no business being in farming, it’s interfering in the free market and New Zealand has plenty of ambitious, talented farmers who deserve the opportunity to farm the land currently owned by Landcorp.

“An independent review into Landcorp that was undertaken in 2021 said the organisation failed to meet financial forecasts, had high corporate costs, and invested in unprofitable off-farm ventures.

“No private operation would be able to fail like this, Landcorp is taking taxpayers for a ride. . . 

‘You look at the farm now and you think, what flood?’ – Ashburton one year on – Sally Murphy:

Farmers hit hard by the Ashburton floods say their farms have recovered well and in some cases their pastures are better than before.

It is a year since heavy rainfall caused rivers in mid-Canterbury to burst their banks, spewing shingle across farmland and leaving hectares of land under water.

Bryan Beeston’s dairy farm backs onto the North Branch of the Ashburton River in the worst-hit area of Greenstreet.

On the day of the flood the water breached the two-metre stock bank and tore through the farm, washing away 198 of his dairy cows, ripping out fences and flooding houses and sheds on the property. . . 

New Great Walk over the hump – Vaneesa Bellew :

Tired trampers might sometimes beg to differ with the assertion that the destination counts for less than the journey. But the country’s newest Great Walk, with its benefits for the Waiua community, should avoid any such arguments

The Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track will add to its pioneering narrative when it becomes a Great Walk next year and creates history as the only such walk not managed by the Department of Conservation (DoC).

Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track Inc will continue to operate the 61km three-day loop on behalf of the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track Charitable Trust when it becomes New Zealand’s 11th Great Walk at the start of the 2023-24 season.

Glenn Thomas, chair of the trust, and board director, says the trust and DoC are getting down to the “nuts and bolts” of an agreement on how the partnership will operate. “It’s a process and it’s going very well,” he says. . .

Ensure a smooth moving day :

With ‘Moving Day’ just around the corner (June 1), it’s a good time for farmers to review their biosecurity practices while moving their animals.

“Good planning and communication can help ensure a smooth Moving Day,” says Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) Eradication Programme Director Simon Andrew.

“Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of farmers and the wider agricultural sector, we have made good progress toward eradicating M. bovis since it was first detected in New Zealand in 2017. We are now aiming to move from delimiting – controlling the last known pockets of M. bovis – to gathering negative test result data to support a statement of provisional absence of M. bovis.

“Good biosecurity practices remain essential to fighting this disease. If left unchecked, the disease could have cost industry an estimated $1.2 billion over the first 10 years, with ongoing productivity losses across the farming sector and animal welfare concerns.” . .

The rise and rise of production is grounded at this enterprise. – Jamie Brown:

When the Bruderhof community came to the Inverell district in 1999 they were seeking a return to agronomic roots and in the years since have lifted their beef production as a direct result of growing soil carbon.

A Christian community originally founded in Germany in 1920, Bruderhof was ousted by the Nazis and fled to the Cotswolds, in England, where they changed-up a local farm from poor to high quality in just four years. When World War Two loomed large they sailed over the Atlantic and crossed the equator to set up camp in the jungles of Paraguay.

“My father was a Gaucho,” says community farm manager Johannes Meier. “They clawed out a life in the remote jungle and savannah and they were on horseback sunrise to sunset, raising tick-resistant Zebu cattle.”

German farmers perfected sustainable agriculture in the millennia before their scientists discovered a way of making nitrogen fertiliser from the air but those old-school methods were maintained by the Bruderhof community – formed three years before the invention of the Haber-Bosch process. . .

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Rural round-up

09/11/2021

Signing of the methane pledge is irresponsible :

“Minister James Shaw’s signing the methane pledge is irresponsible and weak”, says FARM Chairman, Robin Grieve.

“There was absolutely no need for New Zealand to join this jamboree because we don’t have high fossil sourced methane emissions, we don’t have lots of leaky pipes and inefficient processes. What we do have is biogenic methane mostly from our ruminant livestock and this is quite different to fossil sourced methane. It is an amateurish mistake to conflate the two”.

“Industrial nations with high fossil sourced methane emissions have pledged to fix leaky pipes and improve processes to reduce fossil sourced methane by 30%. This pledge makes sense for them because leaky pipes should be fixed in any case and it is an easy and economical fix which will have environmental benefits”. . . 

Act now to meet climate’s growing unpredictability, farmers warned :

Farmers and growers are being told they need to adapt to growing food under increasingly dry conditions.

Three National Science Challenges, Resilience to Nature’s Challenges, Our Land and Water, and The Deep South Challenge held three webinars and a symposium recently to kick-start a research based conversation about climate change adaptation in the food and fibre sector.

A report summarising those talks, Growing Kai Under Increasing Dry, shows farmers need to begin to adapt now.

The report calls for regional councils to undertake clear planning for likely future climate scenarios in their regions, and to engage with farmers and growers to develop a shared understanding of the scenarios’ implications for the primary sector. . . 

How many cows need to go?

“The Government needs to answer how it’s going to meet its pledge to cut biogenic methane emissions,” says ACT’s Primary Production spokesperson Mark Cameron.

“The Government has pledged to cut biogenic methane by 10 per cent on 2017 levels by 2030, and by between 24 to 47 percent lower by 2050.

“According to James Shaw this does not require any new initiatives due to pre-existing Zero Carbon Act commitments, but there are still a range of questions to be asked.

“How are they planning to do this? Is it herd reductions or is it through new technologies? When will the Government bring farmers into this conversation? It’s their livelihoods at stake. . . 

Dairy prices up 3.7 percent as commodity prices reach record high :

Commodity prices have shot to a new record, with dairy, aluminium and meat fetching strong prices.

The ANZ World Commodity Price Index lifted 2.1 percent last month.

The report says freight prices are stabilising, although costs remain elevated, with persistent supply chain disruptions.

It said rising freight costs were inflationary, and expected to drive up New Zealand’s consumer price index to a peak of just under 6 percent by year’s end. . . 

New Zealand apple industry appoints new chief executive:

New Zealand Apples and Pears Inc. (NZAPI) today announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive, Terry Meikle.

Mr Meikle joins NZAPI with an impressive track record of strategic management and international trade relations, having led NZ agriculture and horticulture interests across the Americas including roles as Agriculture Counsellor at the NZ Embassy in Mexico City, Regional Manager North America for Beef and Lamb NZ and as First Secretary Agriculture and Trade for the New Zealand Embassy based in Washington.

“My networking, advocacy and leadership experience has been in both the public sector and through representing a levy funded organisation. These collaborative leadership roles have involved close partnership and engagement with a variety of public and private sector stakeholders,” says Mr Meikle. . .

 

Grape fungicide approved for use :

A new fungicide which controls bunch rot and powdery mildew in grapes has been approved for use in New Zealand, subject to conditions.

Kenja contains the active ingredient isofetamid, which is new to New Zealand but already approved for use in Australia, Europe, the USA, Canada, and Japan.

The applicant, ISK New Zealand, sought approval to import Kenja as a concentrate to be applied to grapes using ground-based methods.

During the application process, ISK submitted that its product helps to combat fungicide resistance, and is less toxic than other fungicides. It noted that Kenja doesn’t carry any human health hazard classifications. . . 

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Rural round-up

29/04/2021

Marlborough firm looks at marketing reject apples for stock feed: Sally Murphy:

A Marlborough company is looking whether using excess or reject apples from Nelson orchards could be used as stock feed in dry areas along the east coast.

Farmers around Seddon and Ward are struggling with extremely dry conditions. Many have started to feed out early, with concerns supplementary feed will run out before the winter.

Kiwi Seed owner Bruce Clarke said apples were used as feed by some farmers last year and with difficulties getting peas and barley more are interested in the fruit this year.

Before marketing apples to farmers, Clarke is investigating what nutritional benefit the fruit may have. . . 

Sam Vivian-Greer crowned New Zealand winner of top agri-award in impressive setting:

The future looks extremely bright for Sam Vivian-Greer of Masterton, who received the coveted 2021 New Zealand Zanda McDonald Award this morning, at a dawn ceremony at Whangara Farms, north of Gisborne.

Vivian-Greer, 31, is a Farm Consultant at BakerAg in the Wairarapa, working alongside farmers who are keen to improve and better their farming operations, and has developed mentoring groups to further develop farm managers and agricultural professionals.

The annual Award, regarded as a badge of honour by the agribusiness industry, recognises and supports talented and passionate young professionals in the ag sector from Australia and New Zealand. Vivian-Greer will receive an impressive prize package centred around mentoring, education and training that is 100% tailored to his needs.

Zanda McDonald Award Patron Shane McManaway says “Sam is a warm and professional person, who has a strong passion for agriculture, and is having a really positive influence on the sector. The judging team was really impressed with his dedication to his role, his leadership and spirit. We’re excited to see what the future holds for Sam, and look forward to helping him carve out his path through the opportunities provided by the Award, in particular the trans-Tasman mentoring package.” . . 

Winter grazing rules show Wellington doesn’t understand farming:

“Today’s release of the winter grazing standards again show a Government out of touch with the primary sector,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.

“It’s in a farmer’s best interest to look after their land and their animals but Government can’t bring themselves to acknowledge this.

“Farmers are continually improving their practices but the Government is intent on sharing the virtues of what it thinks should be on farm practices, without ever having done it.

“Farmers are the best custodians of the land and hold animal welfare to the utmost standards. Sadly here politics often suffocates practicality. . . 

Public access group takes LINZ to court to protect access to iconic back-country road:

Public Access New Zealand (PANZ) has launched legal proceedings to improve and protect public access to one of New Zealand’s most iconic landscapes.

Molesworth Recreation Reserve is one of New Zealand’s most spectacular backcountry areas and the iconic Acheron Road which runs through it has been used by the public for over 150 years. But public access to the area is being unlawfully restricted by the Department of Conservation (DOC), which manages the reserve.

PANZ has filed proceedings in the High Court in Wellington to seek declarations confirming the status of the public roads running through Molesworth Recreation Reserve, with the aim of guaranteeing public access.

PANZ spokesperson Stewart Hydes says Molesworth occupies a special place in New Zealand history and must be protected. . . 

Dark sky park an option to extend tourism in Fiordland:

Fiordland’s brilliant night sky could soon be as much an attraction to domestic and international visitors as its stunning daytime scenery.

Great South has been working with the Fiordland community and stakeholders on the possibility of it becoming an accredited Dark Sky Park with the International Dark Sky Association.

Great South GM Tourism and Events Bobbi Brown said the night sky over Fiordland was of exceptional quality and early indications suggest it would meet the required level for international designation and potentially add another string to the bow for tourism operators.

“If Fiordland National Park received IDA Park designation it would make it the second largest Dark Sky Park in the world, second only to Death Valley National Park in the USA.” . . \

Beef farm on verge of destocking due to all-Wales NVZ :

A beef farming family in Glamorgan have warned they may have to give up keeping cattle if the Welsh government’s new all-Wales NVZ rules are not adjusted.

Beef and sheep farmers Richard Walker and Rachel Edwards run Flaxland Farm – a 120 acre farm outside of Barry, Glamorgan.

They have warned they may have to sell their cattle if the Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) rules are not amended to incorporate recommendations made by industry groups.

In January the Welsh government announced that it will introduce an NVZ designation across the whole of Wales. . . 

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Rural round-up

20/03/2021

NZ apple volumes fall: millions will be lost in exports:

New Zealand Apples and Pears Inc (NZAPI), the industry association representing all apple, pear and nashi growers in New Zealand, has released an updated crop estimate for 2021.

In January, the industry was forecasting a gross national crop of 558,672 metric tonnes, 5% down on the 2020 harvest. The export share of the gross crop was forecast to be 374,751 metric tonnes (20.8 million cartons), 7% down on 2020, reflecting a shortage of available labour and significant hail events in the Nelson and Central Otago regions.

“As we near peak harvest, it has become increasingly clear that we will not achieve those initial forecasts”, NZAPI CEO Alan Pollard said. . .

Hort industry wants workers not workshops :

“What a slap in the face to the horticulture and viticulture sectors today’s $350,000 ‘wellbeing support package’ is as they face losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” says ACT Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron and Immigration spokesperson James McDowall.

“These people don’t need workshops, they need workers,” says Mr Cameron.

“To get this pitiful news in a week when it’s become clear that Hawke’s Bay is short of thousands of workers and estimates its apple losses alone will run to between $100 and $200 million this year is just sickening.

“The Government doesn’t seem to understand the lifecycle of plants, having rationalised that a sector that had ‘had it good’ for a number of years could suck up one rotten harvest. . . 

Immigration NZ overturns decision on sheep scanners’ work visas – Riley Kennedy:

Immigration New Zealand has given the green light to 11 foreign sheep scanners to help New Zealand farmers.

Sheep scanning happens around April and May and is the pregnancy test for ewes due to give birth this coming spring.

It comes after the scanners’ applications for critical worker visas were previously denied, however, an Immigration NZ spokesperson said it recently received new information about the availability of sheep scanners in New Zealand.

The department then informed employers who had applied for workers and had been declined, that their requests would be reconsidered. . .

Make sureyou have a grazing contract in time for winter:

The Winter Grazing Action Group (WGAG) is stressing to farmers the importance of having grazing contracts in place for the coming season.

The group was set up by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor last year in response to a report from the Winter Grazing Taskforce, which made 11 recommendations to help ensure that animal welfare became a key part of all winter grazing decisions in the pastoral supply chain.

He said the action group’s job was to recommend ways to improve animal welfare following what he called “a lot of concern about managing winter grazing for cattle, sheep, and deer across the country”. The group’s 15 members represent industry organisations, government, vets, farmers, and other rural professionals. It is supported in its work by the Ministry for Primary Industries.

WGAG Chair, Lindsay Burton said the group was keen to emphasise the need for grazing contracts for livestock when grazed off farm to make sure health, nutrition and welfare needs are understood and managed especially during periods of greater risk like winter. . . 

MPI seeks feedback on new organic regime:

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is seeking feedback on proposed regulations for organic primary sector products.

“The proposals set out the details of the proposed regime for organic food, beverages, and plant and animal products,” said Fiona Duncan, director of food skills and science policy.

The proposals outline the processes that would apply to businesses marketing organic products. Producers and processors of organic primary products, as well as importers, exporters and domestic-focused businesses, will be interested in how these proposals could apply to them.

“With these proposals, consumers would be better able to tell which products are organic and make more informed choices about what they buy,” said Ms Duncan. . . 

 

Harness the power of earthworms – Paul Reed Hepperly:

When moist, practically all soils from tundra to lowland tropics support the activity of earthworms. Largely unseen, earthworms are a diverse, powerful workforce with the capacity to transform soil into fertile ground.

Found in 27 families, more than 700 genera and greater than 7,000 species, earthworms vary from about 1 inch to 2 yards long. Their living mass outweighs all other animal life forms in global soils. Although we may view earthworms as being both prolific and productive, do we fully appreciate our human capability to favor their beneficial efforts as allies allowing farms and gardens to flourish? I think not.

Earthworms’ powerful activities include promoting favorable soil structure, increasing biological diversity, improving soil function, balancing nutrients needed by plants and animals and optimizing living soil. . . 

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Rural round-up

13/02/2021

Hawke’s Bay apple growers face peak picking season crisis – Tom Kitchin:

Apple growers fear they will face carnage as the picking season hits its peak in the next few weeks.

Border closures have meant few overseas workers, and locals were just as hard to find.

Yummy Fruit general manager Paul Paynter told RNZ he was only sleeping four hours a night these days, even with the help of tranquillisers.

“I think there’s going to be a point of crisis. I mean, physically and mentally I feel it now but I think the pain is really to come down the track. But [I’m] certainly super anxious at the moment, I’m not sleeping and I’m really worried about our future.” . . 

Picker debacle will leave a rotten stench :

The Government’s dismal failure to be flexible and pragmatic about immigration to support the primary sector means hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for apple, wine and other growers is a near certainty,” says ACT Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.

“That a scheme of financial inducements to get people off the dole and into the fields has resulted in an increase to the workforce of just 54 is the cruel reality of what happens when this Government says it’s coming to the rescue.

“ACT has been on the farmers’ side from the beginning. . . 

New NZ apple brand signals early start to season:

T&G Global has launched a new early ripening apple brand which will be one of the first New Zealand apples of the 2021 season to arrive in key Asian markets.

T&G Global’s Poppi™ apple is a sweet flavoured, medium sized apple with a rich red colour.

With its thin skin, crisp sweet flavour and stunning appearance, it’s the first variety to ripen on Hawke’s Bay trees, enabling an early entry of New Zealand apples in highly competitive Asian markets. . . 

Passionfruit glut expected after limited exports this year –

Consumers are set to enjoy a glut of passionfruit after export woes hit the industry.

Seventy percent of the crop would normally be sold in the United States, but that has been limited this year by high airfreight costs and greater competition in the US market.

The NZ Passionfruit Growers Association said about 50 commercial growers produce 120 tonnes a season between February and April.

The cost of air freight meant most of this summer’s crop would be appearing on New Zealand grocery shelves. . . 

Rebuild the RMA but give community time to contribute Feds say :

Federated Farmers has long believed Resource Management Act reform is overdue but is concerned by the speed and scale of the rebuilding proposed today.

“We should be able to get to the end of this process and feel the work has been completed over timeframes that will ensure we deliver the outcomes we want to achieve as a country,” Federated Farmers resource management act spokesperson Karen Williams says.

Environment Minister David Parker has announced his intention to replace the RMA with three new pieces of legislation before the end of this Parliamentary term, with a special select committee looking at a draft of the main Bill by the middle of this year.

“This gives very little time for the community to absorb, consider and submit on the contents of the Bill,” Karen says. . . 

Holbrook’s Rozzie O’Reilly wins Zanda McDonald Award :

Rozzie O’Reilly, 28, from Holbrook, NSW, has an exciting year ahead of her, after being crowned the 2021 Australian winner of the prestigious Zanda McDonald Award at tonight’s award dinner in Orange, NSW.

As the breeding manager at Australia’s largest prime lamb seedstock business, Lambpro, Ms O’Reilly is responsible for managing the database for over 6000 performance recorded stud ewes, co-ordinating staff and providing numerous client services.

She has a Bachelor of Animal Science and runs a sheep and cattle business on agistment and lease country with her fiancé.

Ms O’Rielly said she was excited by her win and couldn’t wait to use the proceeds from the award to learn about other industries. . . 

 

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Rural round-up

03/02/2021

DairyNZ: Climate Commission lays out challenge :

Industry body DairyNZ says the Climate Change Commission’s new report is a welcome acknowledgement of a split gas approach and that methane does not need to reduce to net zero.
DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said the Commission’s science-based approach is ambitious and challenging for all of New Zealand and farming is no exception.

Dr Mackle said the Climate Change Commission proposals and underlying assumptions will be closely examined over the next few weeks, in particular the biogenic methane targets and advice on reducing stock numbers.

“The short-term 2030 and 2035 methane targets are ambitious, making the next 10-15 years the most important for adapting farm systems and investment in research and development solutions  for agriculture,” said Dr Mackle. . .

Whaling a most unhelpful analogy:

“Climate Commission chair Rod Carr’s suggestion that New Zealand farmers could go the way of the whalers is an extremely unhelpful start to the six week consultation of his draft carbon emissions budget,” says ACT Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.

“Asked on radio this morning whether the Commission accepted that New Zealand farmers already produce the lowest carbon-impact beef and dairy in the world, Dr Carr said ‘Given the way we produce it that is true, but being the best whale hunters in the world didn’t protect the whaling fleets.’

“To use as an analogy an industry that wasn’t only unsustainable but which has been outlawed in most jurisdictions because the vast majority of the world considers it to be morally reprehensible is extremely unhelpful.

“This sort of rhetoric risks taking us back to a sort of ‘them and us’ stand-off between farmers and the environmental lobby. . . 

Climate report set up fight over herd sizes – Mark Daalder:

The Climate Change Commission wants the primary sector to reduce livestock herds to reduce emissions, but some farmers aren’t so keen, Marc Daalder reports

The Climate Change Commission proved its independence on Sunday when it broke a political taboo in proposing one way to reduce methane emissions from the agricultural sector: Have fewer cows.

While the Commission estimated current policy settings would already lead to an eight to 10 percent reduction in the size of the national cow – and sheep – herds by 2030, it said something on the order of 15 percent would be crucial for meeting emissions reduction targets.

At issue is the thorny problem of biogenic methane, which is produced by decomposing organic matter (the waste sector is responsible for 10 percent of biogenic methane emissions) and the natural digestive processes of ruminant animals, including cows, sheep and goats (the other 90 percent).  . . 

Fonterra lifts its 2020/21 forecast Farmgate Milk Price range:

Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited today lifted its 2020/21 forecast Farmgate Milk Price range to NZD $6.90 – $7.50 per kgMS, up from NZD $6.70 – $7.30 per kgMS.

The midpoint of the range, which farmers are paid off, has increased to NZD $7.20 per kgMS.

Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell says the lift in the 2020/21 forecast Farmgate Milk Price range is a result of strong demand for dairy, which is demonstrated by the continued increase in Global Dairy Trade (GDT) prices since the Co-op last revised its milk price at the beginning of December.

“In particular, we’ve seen strong demand from China and South East Asia for whole milk powder (WMP) and skim milk powder (SMP), which are key drivers of the milk price. . . 

Surge in demand sees AWDT double intake :

A leading governance and leadership programme for primary sector women is doubling its 2021 intake in response to surging demand from aspiring female leaders across New Zealand’s food and fibre sectors, and rural communities.

The Next Level programme is researched, designed and delivered by the Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) and runs across two North Island and two South Island intakes in 2021.

“Offering Next Level more widely is a response to the change in mindset of many primary sector women. They are recognising their value as leaders and choosing to step up as agents of positive change, without the need for permission or position,” AWDT general manager Lisa Sims said.

The six-month programme takes a strength-based approach, empowering women to understand their leadership style, define their personal “why” and design their roadmap to making a positive impact for the people and places they care about. . . 

Ni-Vanuatu seasonal workers will arrive in New Zealand next week –

Around 900 Ni-Vanuatu seasonal workers will soon travel to New Zealand for work under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme.

Last November, the New Zealand government granted a border exception for up to 2000 experienced Pacific Island RSE workers to address labour shortages.

Local media in Vanuatu report that of the quota for the Pacific, Ni-Vanuatu make up 45 percent of the RSE labour for the February to March intake. . . 

Well-established avocado orchard with huge expansion potential placed on the market for sale :

A well-established and highly-productive avocado orchard in the heart of Whangarei’s foremost avocado growing district – and with the potential to double its production capacity – has been placed on the market for sale.

The 40.1-hectare property at Maungatapere on the western outskirts of Whangarei sits in a volcanic soil valley which was once a dairy and beef farming strong-hold, but is now Whangarei’s most concentrated conglomeration of avocado orchards due to the location’s deep fertile volcanic soil base.

The generally rectangular-shaped orchard for sale at 38 Kokopu Block Road features 10 blocks planted with 1,566 Hass on Zutano rootstock currently under production. Replacement clonal trees have also been planted to fill in all the gaps, and will further boost production over the coming seasons. . . 

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Rural round-up

19/12/2020

Open letter to Prime Minister Ardern re Immigration NZ border exemption confusion– Julie South:

Dear Prime Minister (and Minister Faafoi & Ms Standford)

Open Letter:  clarification sought on rationale used for border exemption denials for health care workers

I’m writing this Open Letter with the hope you’ll be able to answer my questions because it appears no one else in your government is able to.

There are quite a few questions in this letter, so to make it easy for you, I’ve highlighted them in blue.  I’ve also provided some background information to give you context.

I’m hoping you can help me because my colleagues and I are struggling to understand the rationale applied by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) in recent border exemption denials for the health care workers I specialise in finding jobs for. . . 

Shares in a2 tumble as company slashes forecast – Catherine Harris:

Shares in dairy company a2 have plunged more than 20 per cent on Friday as the company slashed its forecast to reflect a longer than expected recovery in its some of its selling channels.

The glamour stock’s share price fell more than 23 per cent to $10.78 in late afternoon trading, after a2 downgraded its revenue forecast for the first half to $670 million, and between $1.40 billion to $1.55b for the full year.

That was well down on 2020’s stellar full year revenue of $1.73b, and its September guidance of $1.8b to $1.9b, with $725m to $775m for the first half. . . 

A new lease on life – Neal Wallace:

Torrid life experiences proved to be Lindsay Wright’s apprenticeship for work with the Rural Support Trust in Southland. Neal Wallace talks to the former Wendonside farmer about the scratches and bruises that life has served up to him.

Lindsay Wright agonised for months about what to do with his fourth-generation family farm.

The uncertainty was adding to his depression but in the end, the decision only took a few minutes to make once he started working with a counsellor to address his health issues.

She asked him three questions: Did he want to stay as he was? Did he want to sell it? Did he want to employ a manager? . . 

Alliance demonstrates agility in tough year:

Shareholders at the Alliance Group Annual Meeting this week were told the cooperative showed agility in an unprecedented year as a result of Covid-19 and adverse weather events.

Last month, Alliance Group announced an underlying profit of $27.4 million.

Adjusted for a one-off event of ‘donning and doffing’, the annual profit result was $7.5 million before tax.

The red meat co-operative achieved a record turnover of $1.8 billion for the year ending 30 September 2020.

Lawyers called in over 119 year old mistake – David Williams:

Officials want to exclude a reserve from a Crown pastoral lease, which might spark a court battle, David Williams reports

When Lukas Travnicek flew over Canterbury’s Mt White Station he’d done his research.

The Czech Republic native, and New Zealand resident, knew the average rainfall of the Crown pastoral lease property, which borders the Arthur’s Pass National Park, and factored its 40,000 hectares (about a quarter of Stewart Island) into his development plans, should he buy it.

“I saw it from the chopper, the very first time and they didn’t want me to land because they said that it would be disturbing for the manager and you’re not sure if you really want to buy it. But I made the pilot land.” . . 

Govt must listen to farmers on freshwater rules:

The Government must listen to feedback from farmers on its freshwater rules,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron.

Stuff reports that the Southland Advisory Group has recommended pugging rules and resowing dates be scrapped from the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater.

“ACT has said from the outset that the rules are impractical and will seriously impact on production.

“Last week, an Economic Impact Report on Land and Water Management in the Ashburton District suggested the rules would reduce farm profitability by 83 percent a year. . . 

The mystery of Tekapo’s disappearing lupins: Who killed the social media star? – Brook Sabin:

It’s one of New Zealand’s most iconic shots: Lake Tekapo, the mountains and a bright glow of purple. You probably know what purple I’m talking about. Yes, the “L” word – “lupins”.

Mackenzie Country is known around the world for its lupins; before Covid-19 Lake Tekapo would often have traffic jams around lupin hotspots.

The trouble is, when some strike that perfect Instagram pose – little do they know they’re actually frolicking among weeds.

Lupinus polyphyllus (which to be fair, sounds like the plant equivalent of an STI) is commonly known as the russel lupin, or just “that purple Instagram flower”. It is the weed equivalent of 1080; opinions are bitterly divided. . . 

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