Southland Federated Farmers president Geoffrey Young discusses the Government s proposed new fresh water rules.
His sometimes controversial stance has occasionally raised eyebrows, but Geoffrey Young has no regrets as his term as president of Southland Federated Farmers comes to an end. Public campaigns from activists wanting to end intensive winter grazing and cows numbers to be reduced, new firearms legislation, the rise of plant-based meat, and the wool price still stuck in the doldrums, Young said sticking up for farmers for the past three years had been almost a full-time job. Not to mention the work involved on new freshwater, climate change and indigenous biodiversity legislation from the Government all having an impact on farming.
The Country - Winter grazing edition
17 Mar, 2021 12:30 AM
Quick Read
The Country
Today on The Country, Jamie Mackay caught up with Minister for the Environment David Parker to talk about the decision to defer intensive winter grazing regulations for a year.
On with the show:
Bernadette Hunt:
Is the VP of Southland Federated Farmers and a strong advocate in the battle to have realistic regulations imposed on intensive winter grazing practices in Southland.
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Jim Hopkins:
Is a rural raconteur who reckons an apple a day, pays the way when it comes to letting Hawkes Bay pickers, as opposed to Lion King thespians, into the country.
An independent review into the New Zealand's Mycoplasma bovis Program will mean farmers don't have to face avoidable teething problems during future incursions, Southland Federated Farmers vice president Bernadette Hunt says.
There was also a trickle, not a flood, of tourism workers going into agriculture, Hunt said. Ardlussa arables farmer Chris Dillon said he would need contractors for harvesting in the coming weeks and then replanting after that. “You don t want your own equipment sitting idle,” he said. Dillon had a pilot doing seasonal work on his farm last year, but there were fewer kiwis available to fill those gaps this year, he said. He is the Southland Federated Farmers arable chairman. Flow on effects of the worker shortage meant farmers could have to consider selling equipment, he said. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said “given the risks in the world around us and uncertainty about the global roll-out of the vaccine, we can expect our borders to be impacted for much of this year.”