Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in nutrition, health and sustainable living, has received full regulatory approval from the Brazilian and Chilean authorities to commercialize Bovaer®, its novel methane-reducing feed additive for ruminants. These first market authorizations, covering beef, dairy, sheep and goats, mark a significant milestone for DSM. Intense collaboration among scientists and […]
Environment
Feds: We need to step up water resilience resourcing and leadership
News that development work on the Wakamoekau Community Water Storage Scheme has been halted should be deeply troubling to every resident of Wairarapa, the region’s Federated Farmers President David Hayes says. “Water storage is critical to the future of our towns and rural hinterland, to employment, production and the health of our rivers and wider […]
Who’s that bird?
We all know that farmers and rural people are great conservationists, and we understand and encourage birdlife on farm, but historically this has been an anecdotal record-keeping system. We recently caught up with the team from ebird which is co-ordinating the New Zealand Bird Atlas project. This is a Citizen Science project run by Birds […]
Farmers highlight folly of Water Services Bill catch-all
“With respect, please, please rethink this bill,” Ian and Barbara Stuart said in a letter to Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta. The owners of the Cable Bay Farm and holiday park in Nelson are among a stream of rural residents emailing and writing to the Minister to express dismay and puzzlement on why the Water […]
Feds disappointed with deadline extension refusal
Federated Farmers is extremely disappointed with Otago Regional Council’s outright rejection of a multi-party request for a two week extension for all submitters on the Council’s Regional Policy Statement (RPS) review in light of the Covid lockdown. “ORC chief executive Sarah Gardner – quite correctly – has told her staff that during the lockdown they […]
Feds: Pragmatism finally prevails on winter grazing
Farmers will breathe a considerable sigh of relief over news the government has accepted most of the Southland Advisory Group’s winter grazing recommendations, and will now consult on proposed revised rules. “Everyone wants strong protection for our waterways but from the day they came out Feds had said a number of aspects of the Essential […]
Fix, don’t smash, the RMA
Federated Farmers is urging the Government not to try and push through a radical reform of the Resource Management Act during the current pandemic. Vice-President Karen Williams led a Federated Farmers team presenting to the Environment Select Committee this afternoon and agreed all is not well with one of our most important pieces of legislation. […]
Trees your friend, not your competition, farmers told
by Simon Edwards Trees versus food production arguments are misleading and detract from opportunities to improve the sustainability and profitability of the wider farming sector, Forest Owners Association President Phil Taylor told the Primary Industries Summit last month. “Trees, in various places, for various reasons, at various times, are going to complement and protect farming […]
Co-innovation project advances irrigation practices
By Gina McKenzie A five-year collaborative project involving NIWA and a pilot group of Waimakariri farmers has seen a shift from a “just-in-case” approach to irrigation to a “justified” approach, where landowners use real time data and forecasts to make science-based irrigation decisions. Throughout the NIWA-led Irrigation Insight programme, farmers have been provided with daily […]
Inconvenient complexities around the review of Overseer
E McGruddy, Senior Policy Adviser, FFNZ The Government’s aspiration to deliver demonstrable environmental improvements in short order just hit a road block. Or did it? The Overseer model has been found wanting by an independent panel – unfit for purpose in regulation. It may or may not be resurrected in a more limited domain, more […]