After tough year, NZ farms the ‘envy of world’
Farmers given a 12-month stay of execution after the Government deferred its proposed winter grazing rules have breathed a collective sigh of relief.
But Federated Farmers Southland vicepresident Bernadette Hunt warned farmers at Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s annual meeting in Invercargill yesterday not to take their eye off the ball.
‘‘We have to work hard to do the right thing because those greenie groups will be out in force,’’ Hunt said.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor told about 130 farmers via a livestream link that the Government had decided to defer the winter grazing rules until May next year. ‘‘We have taken on board the advice from the Southland Advisory Group.’’
O’Connor said the Government needed time to work through the issues around slope, pugging rules and sowing dates, and it would involve ‘‘more than tweaks’’.
‘‘There is still a focus on no further water degradation and restoring water quality.’’
Farmers have expressed their frustrations over the winter grazing rules, with hundreds attending a rally at the Southern Field Days site in mid-February.
Beef + Lamb chairman Andrew Morrison said the farmer-owned industry body would continue to seek changes to the rules.
In his chairman’s address, Morrison said it had been a tough year for the country’s farmers who battled droughts and floods before Covid-19 plunged them into lockdown almost a year ago.
He praised the meat processors that had continued to operate. ‘‘It could have been a really dark time for the industry, but we were able to work together collectively to achieve a great result.’’
Morrison said being able to provide food to a diverse range of overseas markets through a global pandemic put New Zealand in a strong position.
‘‘Our grass-fed sustainable farming systems are the envy of the world,’’ he said.