Why do our farmers get all the blame?

These writers’ arguments are that our farmers are destroying NZ, but they never acknowledge that our cities and large towns are the worst offenders.

Iwatched a programme on TV1 of the Top Twins as they travelled around the Rakaia river area talking to locals about their salmon farming.

It ended with them fishing the mighty Rakaia river themselves for the elusive salmon. What a lovely programme of people living and working in their own pristine environment and surely enjoyed by viewers.

This was a stark reminder of what a beautiful country NZ is.

However, a couple of days earlier a good friend of mine had sent me two links to two opinion columns, and after reading them I was smarting with anger and asking why would they want to print such garbage about NZ and, in particular, our rural farming community?

In many of my previous columns I have written about our early pioneers who emigrated to NZ with nothing, just looking for a better way of life, to have some independence and help shape NZ to have a better and more prosperous future for generations to come.

These pioneers would turn in their graves if they could hear this continual sniping made by a very minority group.

These writers’ arguments are that our farmers are destroying NZ, but they never acknowledge that our cities and large towns are the worst offenders.

One of the writers was going on about our farmers polluting waterways, with particular reference to South Island waterways; however, my point is that if you watched the Top Twins’ programme you would have seen the Rakaia River lined with fishermen attempting to catch a salmon or two for tea.

I may be wrong but if this and other rivers that feature in the critics’ minds are as bad as they say, fish simply wouldn’t be there!

Critics also like to hone in on such rivers as the Selwyn, which through the phenomena of dry summer droughts can actually dry up as they near the coast, but for some obscure reason it’s the farmers in that Canterbury region that have caused it all. I have seen these dry rivers myself.

Also recently we read an article about a Southland businessman who had bought a vast area of land (9500 ha) in the Mackenzie Basin which has stirred the ire of some.

This land and leaseholder is working closely with local councils and has reached agreement on the area to be reserved of some 40 per cent with the balance to be converted into a large dairy unit.

So the big question is, is the development of the Mackenzie Basin area of a few dairy units that will become highly productive for our nation detrimental to the area?

In my opinion the nation would be somewhat split on the subject.

I personally would prefer to listen to the experts in our regional councils who also use science to determine the outcomes.

During 1975 I attended a Weeds and Pest National Conference in Ashburton and on the second day we delegates were all bussed out to the Mackenzie Basin to view a very serious weed problem the landowners were experiencing with hieracium and nussella tussock, and at that stage no chemical could control it and no stock would eat it.

Then, on top of that, were the rabbit plagues that were ravaging the lands as well.

We saw practically no stock as there was simply very little to eat. I understand you counted acres to one sheep whereas in Taranaki it is the other way round.

The environmentalist groups are saying that those lands should be left, whereas environmentally-friendly farmers are saying, and proving, that with careful planning, reserving off certain areas, cultivating and sowing new species of grass and irrigation these lands have become very productive, helping to feed one billion of the world’s near seven billion population of hungry people. To me this makes sense.

Can I recommend that you Google Mackenzie Basin and read for yourself the vast amount of information about this amazing area of NZ.

You can also read about the Southland businessman who is developing 9500 ha of land with, as I said, 40 per cent reserved for conservation.

I encourage readers to take the time to do this and by doing so you can make your own balanced judgment, not only about the Mackenzie Basin but the debate that is led by a few antis whose main objective is to blame our valuable NZ farmers as the bad boys.

I rest my case.