Moves to clean up intensive grazing

‘Council is aware of the concerns around the practice of intensive winter grazing. As a result we are taking steps to address these including working with landowners and industry on best practice when ’ it comes to winter grazing.

Horizons Regional Council is taking steps to address the practice of intensive winter grazing.

Last week the council held two workshops for farmers hosted by Beef + Lamb that focused on best practice and farm planning for winter.

Group manager strategy and regulation Dr Nic Peet was responding to Fish & Game chief executive Martin Taylor’s call to the agriculture industry to clean up its act and enforce much higher standards for the environmentally damaging practice of intensive winter feeding.

Dr Peet says there is winter grazing in the Horizons region, and this is normally undertaken to move stock from vulnerable hill country land that’s prone to erosion, to flatter land.

“There are no feedlots of the size or scale of the one in Ashburton that we are aware of.

“Council is aware of the concerns around the practice of intensive winter grazing. As a result we are taking steps to address these including working with landowners and industry on best practice when it comes to winter grazing.

“Horizons has also invested $20,000, alongside farmers, into Massey University nutrient tracking research that focuses on winter grazing.”

Martin’s call for action on environmentally damaging intensive winter feeding is to “clean it up or stop it”.

He said there was increasing public concern about the practice after photos and film revealed dairy cattle being kept belly deep in mud and rivers being dirtied by sediment runoff from intensive winter feeding paddocks.

Martin says the agriculture industry — Dr NIC PEET, Group manager strategy and regulation needs to take a tougher line.

“What is happening at the moment is completely unacceptable. We need greater leadership from the agriculture industry to stop its worst members continuing their hugely damaging practice.

“And nationally, Federated Farmers must commit itself to clean up a practice which is hurting the reputation of many of their members who are doing the right thing and looking after the environment.”

Martin says opposition to both feedlots and intensive winter grazing is now widespread from right across the community.

“Over the last week, we have seen a huge groundswell of opinion against these practices from environmental groups, Fish & Game, vets and good farmers,” he says.

“They all say what is going on at the moment shouldn’t happen.

“If winter grazing cannot be done in an environmentally sensitive and sustainable way, then it has to be stopped and an alternative found.”