This month has been was massive for the farming sector. We had Fieldays with politicians abounding and some major announcements aimed at helping our sector go forward.
I attended some of the early Fieldays as a young (relatively), rural reporter in the 1970s. While it was spectacular in its own way back then it bears no relationship to the event of today.
We took a free bus to Fieldays, which worked well as we were dropped off at the gate. There were thousands of cars parked there and I could imagine the situation later in the dark with punters trying to find their vehicles.
Fieldays this year was even more important by virtue of all the political statements that were made. I believe they were positive.
It started with the ACT leader, Regulations Minister David Seymour, saying he was going to review the red tape that was being suffered by our sector. He wanted to review how new farming and horticulture products were approved. He went on to add that the current processes and red tape barred productivity and prevented farmers from accessing products already used in other OECD countries.
He added that farmers overseas were using innovative products that we don’t have access to.
I agree with Seymour, with the biogenic methane inhibitor, Bovaer, being a case in point.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has been making a meal over its acceptance in NZ and taking an interminable amount of time in the process. Bovaer has been around for ages and is used in 59 countries including the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, which begs the question as to why the EPA is reinventing the wheel here.
Having said that, I’ve always found the EPA’s position is one of “I’ll always know what’s best for you.” It doesn’t.
I also agree with the Seymour statement, “If we don’t remove these barriers to productivity we will fall behind our global competitors when we need to grow our productivity through trade.”
Federated Farmers obviously agreed too as it quickly issued a statement supporting the initiative.
It was a bad day for the bureaucracy with Animal Welfare Minister Andrew Hoggard’s announced plan to reform the sacred cow that was the National Advisory Committee on Animal Welfare, NAWAC.
His statement that he wanted NAWAC “to consider the practicality and economic impact of its decisions” would have been considered rampant heresy at NAWAC HQ.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay also rode into the fray with the welcome statement, “Where the cost of a regulation is greater than the benefit of the outcome that’s red tape and the government won’t go there.” That would have been music to farmers’ ears.
Charitably, He Waka Eke Noa was a good idea but naïve considering farmer politics at the time. It’s been nuked to be replaced with the Pastoral Sector Group, which is a slimmed-down, more focused organisation.
Feds immediately released a statement on HWEN saying “goodbye and good riddance”. I’d agree.
I’m also pleased agriculture won’t be in the Emissions Trading Scheme.
There was considerable discussion at Fieldays on the rural banking inquiry, which I found positive. ACT MP and Primary Industries Select Committee chair Mark Cameron has been driving this for some time and has been highly successful in his endeavours. We now have National, Labour, ACT and NZ First all coming out in strong support so it shouldn’t take long to get the rubber on the road.
I can’t wait to see the terms of reference.
There have been many changes at Fieldays and many things that remain the same.
The exhibitors have changed a lot over the years. For example, we still have all the farm equipment on display but this year we must have had 20 tiny, portable homes. I believe that the way costs have come down, a tiny house on a remote paddock will give a farmer an additional income stream.
I’d congratulate Federated Farmers on its Hub. There were many staff and board members there and it was done in a collegiate way with Groundswell, Rural Women, Young Farmers and Farmers Weekly.
That provided a pulpit for various politicians, including McClay, Simeon Brown, Hoggard, Mark Patterson and Jo Luxton that I was aware of.
Patterson is impressive and on top of his portfolio, and I respect Luxton as Labour’s agricultural spokesperson. Like her colleagues from the other parties, she understands agriculture.
I’ve spoken to Bryce McKenzie often enough but met him for the first time at the Feds Hub. He is a massive asset to our sector and unlike many in the political sphere, what you see is what you get.
So a really positive event and a great outlook for the primary sector. While I totally accept that life on the farm is currently tough, I do see several bright lights on the horizon.
