Loss-making farmers can't afford environmental mitigation 21 Jul 2015
Related articles
- NZ consumers grow more upbeat, may resume spending Business
- NZ looking at all avenues on whaling issue News
- Knowles quits as CEO of KiwiBank Business
- NZ migration bolstered by British invasion Migration
- NZ manufacturing activity reaches highest since 04 Business
- NZ dollar hits 22-month high vs euro Business
- Licensing To Cut Out Cowboy Advisers Migration
- OceanaGold finds new gold deposits at Fraser mine Business
- Transpower gets go-ahead for $170m SI upgrade Business
- Government Widens Drought Assistance News
Loss-making farmers can't afford environmental mitigation, says Fed Farmers boss
By Fiona Rotherham
July 21 (BusinessDesk) - Federated Farmers president William Rolleston says progress made in the last few years on farming’s environmental impact can’t be sustained when farmers are making a loss.
Speaking to the Local Government New Zealand conference today, Rolleston says if agriculture is to continue its contribution to New Zealand’s economy, it has to address the issues of productivity and environmental impact.
A recent survey by Dairy NZ and Federated Farmers showed dairy farmers have spent $1 billion on environmental initiatives in the past five years.
Rolleston said a growing economy can support a healthy environment but a shrinking one doesn’t stand much of a chance.
“To make fast progress it requires strong balance sheets and good cash flows. While it’s unacceptable to go backwards, regulators, environmentalists and the public need to understand that the rapid progress in the last few years cannot be sustained when farmers are making a loss.”
The dramatic fall in global dairy prices and forecast low payouts for two seasons is expected to cause a significant number of dairy farmers to be unprofitable. If prices are sustained around current depressed levels for an extended period, some farmers are likely to leave the industry owing to unprofitability.
Rolleston said as a farming leader, he’s looked for solutions which enable economic progress while supporting a healthy environment, which does away with the need for punitive resource rentals, taxes and similar instruments.
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright said last month dairy intensification was increasing nutrient pollution to New Zealand’s waterways and the water quality is continuing to decline. While she said farmers had made a turnaround in their stance on environmental impacts, nitrogen continued to be a problem that needed to be controlled through tougher limits by regional councils.
Rolleston said nitrogen, which is in chemical and organic fertilisers, is a significant expense on farms. He said he was “always shocked” at how little of the nitrogen applied in farming practice was embedded in products that left the farm, by comparison with how much is lost to waterways and the atmosphere.
Technology improving the efficient use of nitrogen would continue to be worth investment by reducing nitrogen input costs as well as delivering environmental benefits.
Getting the science right was important to making economic gain as the global demand for both food and a healthy environment increases, he said.
“A lot has been said about farming to limits and for councils numbers make decision-making much easier.
"But I would remind you that the RMA (Resource Management Act) was set up to be effects-based and that blunt tools lead to dull outcomes. We need to remind ourselves the farmers have only been talking nitrogen for about a decade. The science is progressing quickly. The challenge for regulators is to ensure that regulations are flexible enough to cope with the evolving evidence and to take account of improvements or reductions in water quality.”
Rolleston said the RMA works on a first-come, first-served basis, which becomes problematic when a resource like water reaches its limits and does not allow a more strategic approach. Creating property rights through tradeable quotas is not the solution, he said.
Three potential answers lie in resource expansion, science to increase efficient use, and collaboration. He pointed to water storage where farmers were willing to pay for the benefits they receive but local and central government should directly contribute.
Federated Farmers holds up the Opuha Dam in South Canterbury as a leading example of water storage for irrigation because, as well as providing economic benefit, it has increased river flows, generated electricity, provided Timaru with water and a recreation resource for water craft, fishers, and campers.
“Solutions for Maori economic aspirations in water could well come through storage. By contributing to the development of water storage, government can help create the headroom for negotiation and settlement, if such as settlement is justified,” he said.
(BusinessDesk)
News
Hilary Timmins' Award-Winning UK Documentary Series To Inspire NZ Students
29 Jun 2020 Education
Dream Catchers, produced and directed by Hilary Timmins, celebrates the success stories of more than thirty inspirational New... more
New Zealand reaffirms support for Flight MH17 judicial process
7 Mar 2020 News
Ahead of the start of the criminal trial in the Netherlands on 9 March, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reaffirmed the need to... more
Business
NZ Government's Economic package to fight COVID-19
17 Mar 2020 Business News
The Coalition Government has launched the most significant peace-time economic plan in modern New Zealand history to cushion the... more
NZ Government announces aviation relief package
19 Mar 2020 Business News
Transport Minister Phil Twyford today outlined the first tranche of the $600 million aviation sector relief package announced earlier... more
Living
Diversity was Key at New Zealand Trade Tasting in London
6 Jun 2022 Food & Wine
New Zealand Winegrowers Annual Trade Tasting was recently held in London, on Wednesday 4 May, in Lindley Hall.
It was the first... more
Kiwi author stuns Behind the Butterfly Gate
12 Jan 2022 Arts
Hidden behind the Butterfly Gate is where the secret has been kept for 76 years...
New Zealand writer Merryn Corcoran’s... more
Property
Fairer rules for tenants and landlords
17 Nov 2019 Property
17 NOVEMBER 2019
The Government has delivered on its promise to the over one million New Zealanders who now rent to make it fairer... more
New Zealand Government will not implement a Capital Gains Tax
17 Apr 2019 Property
The Coalition Government will not proceed with the Tax Working Group’s recommendation for a capital gains tax, Jacinda Ardern... more
Migration
Boosting border security with electronic travel authority – now over 500,000 issued
19 Nov 2019 Migration
19 NOVEMBER 2019
We’ve improved border security with the NZeTA, New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, which helps us to... more
Christchurch reinstated as refugee settlement location
18 Aug 2018 Migration
18 AUGUST 2018
HON IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY
The announcement that Christchurch can once again be a settlement location for refugees... more
Travel
Gallipoli Anzac Day services cancelled
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
The New Zealand and Australian Governments have announced this year’s joint Anzac Day services at Gallipoli will be cancelled... more
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
19 Mar 2020 Travel & Tourism
New Zealanders advised not to travel overseas
more
Sport
The Skipper's Diary: Sir Richard Hadlee honouring his father and NZ's Forty-Niners
27 Oct 2019 Cricket
NZNewsUK London Editor Charlotte Everett spoke to Sir Richard Hadlee about why he’s chosen to publish his father’s... more
PREVIEW: All Blacks v England semi-final
26 Oct 2019 Rugby
The two most convincing quarterfinals winners are set to square off in a semifinal showdown for the ages when the All Blacks meet old... more
Columns
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
11 Nov 2016 Opinion
Gordon Campbell on the Gareth Morgan crusade
First published on Werewolf
The ghastly likes of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert ... more
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
10 Nov 2016 Opinion
Column - Gordon Campbell
Gordon Campbell on the US election outcome
Well um.. on the bright side, there (probably)... more
Kiwi Success
Congratulations to Loder Cup winner
26 Sep 2018 People
25 SEPTEMBER 2018
The Loder Cup, one of New Zealand’s oldest conservation awards, has been awarded to Robert McGowan for 2018... more
Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
16 Aug 2018 Appointments
16 AUGUST 2018Appointments to New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO
HON JENNY SALESA
Associate Education Minister Jenny Salesa is... more
Recruitment
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
14 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more
Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
22 Aug 2018 Recruitment
14 AUGUST 2018Historic pay equity settlement for education support workers
RT HON JACINDA ARDERN
HON CHRIS HIPKINS
Prime Minister
The... more