Disclaimer: This article discusses suicide.

Monday December 3, 2018. 

That was the day Jason Herrick decided to take his life. 

Months of heavy rain, the pressure of excessive regulation, negative sentiment towards farming, and an inability to share his feelings left him at breaking point.

“It had been building up for quite some time,” says Herrick, who’s now Southland Federated Farmers president.

“It started all the way back with the earthquakes in Canterbury, which were just devastating to live through as a family.

“I lost some good mates to suicide in that time, and then my wife had some serious health challenges, and I never really knew how to deal with any of it. 

“We moved to a sharemilking position in Southland and that’s when I got so overwhelmed by the barrage of new regulations.”

Herrick says constantly reading and hearing negative comments about farming was weighing heavily on him. 
“That public perception against farming – you see it in the news and on social media, farmers getting hammered all the time.

“I just broke because I couldn’t handle people perceiving me in that light.”
Herrick finally snapped on that wet, muddy day in December, driving to cliffs on the southern coast to end his life. 

“I honestly didn’t think there was a way out. I didn’t think there was a way forward. I was ready to end it.” 

Looking back, he’s incredibly grateful a local police officer found him after being alerted by Jason’s worried wife. 

“I don’t remember much from that day, but I know he used GPS tracking on my phone and managed to talk me down off the cliff.” 

Herrick was escorted to a mental health facility, which was the start of a long, hard road ahead.
“My parents did a beautiful job of bringing me up, but I was raised as a southern man, taught to harden up, not show emotions, not show any sign of weakness.

“I slowly had to learn how to talk about what was going on in my head.”

Herrick found a counsellor he connected with, learned strategies to cope with pressure, and gradually rediscovered his love of farming. 

“I identified some triggers for me really early on and started learning how to manage those. 

“For example, watching the news at 6pm every night was so negative and would send me down the wrong path in my head, so I stopped watching TV and haven’t watched it since.” 

He now spends a lot of time listening to motivational podcasts and talks to friends and family about how he’s feeling. 

A turning point was when he and some friends founded the mental health support group Ag Proud NZ, to help other farmers through tough times. 

“Putting myself out there to help other people has given me so many rewards.

“Every time somebody reaches out to me and every time somebody tells me I’ve helped them, it’s a win that makes me feel good.

“It’s hard to describe that feeling, but that’s definitely the reason I talk about my own experience.”

Six years later, Herrick’s mental health is in “A1 condition”, he says.
“Don’t get me wrong: I still have some tough days, but I now have tools to get through them.” 

He says he wants to help bring a shift in rural communities and farming families, making it more acceptable for people to share their mental health battles. 

“It’ll take a long time to change everything, but we need to bring generational change. 

“We need to show our young ones it’s okay to talk, it’s okay to show emotion, and it’s okay to reach out and ask for help.”

As the country marks Mental Health Awareness Week, Herrick has a message to any farmers in a similar place to where he was in 2018. 

“Reach out to somebody, and if you don’t have anyone you think you can trust, dial 1737. There are plenty of people on that phone number who will help you.

“Rural Support Trust is also an absolutely phenomenal organisation. They’ve got access to so many resources.

“And, if all else fails, reach out to me. I’ll have no problem talking to people and I’ll point them in the right direction.

“You’re not the only one in this situation, and that’s sometimes the hardest thing to get over is recognising you’re not the only one.”

Hear Herrick’s story on the Federated Farmers Podcast as part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2024.

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.

Suffering from depression or stress, or know someone who is? Where to get help:

Rural Support Trust: 0800 RURAL HELP

Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757

Lifeline: 0800 543 354

Need To Talk? Call or text 1737

Samaritans: 0800 726 666

Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234

In Focus Podcast | Sheep outlook: the future of our flock

Sheep farmers are doing it tough right now, with farmgate returns dropping back after a few good years and input costs rising. Add to that the march of pine trees across the land, and there’s talk of an existential crisis. Bryan asked AgriHQ senior analyst Mel Croad to give him the lay of the land and asked her what the sector needed to do to find prosperity again.

As the march of pine trees across productive farmland continues to snuff out jobs and undermine rural communities, David Hayes is also increasingly concerned about the risk of fire. 

The Federated Farmers Wairarapa president and keen pilot says when he flies his aeroplane north or east from Masterton, it’s pines up the ranges and coast as far as he can see. 

“I’m talking contiguous, joined-up forestry. It really makes me wonder how far a wildfire could spread in a dry summer.” 

Hayes recently spent a few weeks in rural British Columbia, Canada, where the local economy is based primarily on agriculture, forestry and tourism. 

“It’s also a province that’s been suffering from the devastating impacts of large-scale forest fires,” he says.  

“Our forestry types and management may be different, but I couldn’t help but see a stark warning for us here on the east coast and other dryer parts of New Zealand where we’re seeing a lot of radiata planted.”  

His particular concern is carbon forests, which may not have the fire breaks, thinning and firefighting resources of foresters growing radiata pine for timber. 

“Farmers have every right to make their own decisions on how to use their land. 

“For sheep and beef farmers right now, the attraction of diversifying into growing trees on harder land is very understandable. 

“The issue Federated Farmers has is with those large-scale corporate farms owned by international investment entities,” Hayes says. 

“They have no real links with the local community. On too many blocks they’re planting the trees, closing the gates, and sitting back to reap the carbon revenue.” 

Beef + Lamb NZ’s latest stock number survey records a 10% decline in sheep and beef numbers in the last three years. 

A major driver has been conversion of sheep and beef farms into forestry to reap Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) benefits.  

In the three years between 2019 and 2022, about 180,000 hectares of whole sheep and beef farms were sold into forestry. 

Earlier this month Hayes attended a regional land management forum that drew Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and forestry representatives from the lower North Island. 

“Everybody there thought carbon forests are a problem, including the production forestry guys.” 

Hayes says FENZ is stepping up communication with rural landowners and foresters, setting up Local Advisory Committees in each region. 

“The ones they struggle to connect with are the landowners and the forest owners on those carbon farms. 

“There is concern about the lack of fire-fighting capability on those farms, the lack of water ponds, buffers and so on.” 

As with farming, forestry profits are down and labour is tight.   

“So, they’re having to do different things, such as using chemical killing for thinning out the forest,” Hayes says.  

“You end up with these dead trees, still standing for three or four years, rather than lying on the forest floor where it’s wetter. That’s got to lift the fire risk.” 

A phrase used at the forum struck Hayes as something farmers need to keep in mind: ‘Your neighbours’ risk, is your risk’. 

“A fire in a forest adjoining farmland has obvious risks for farm fences, livestock, buildings – and our people.” 

The reverse is also true, of course.   

FENZ says, over the past 10 years, 65% of New Zealand wildfires were caused by escapes from agricultural burns, cooking and camping fires. 

“Warnings about controlled burn-offs, machinery exhausts in long grass, sparks from plough blades and so on may be doubly important if your farm neighbours forestry,” Hayes says. 

There’s now strong evidence that while replanting of previously forested areas continues, planting on new areas of farmland has slowed. 

An MPI survey has found the area of planned new forestry planting in 2025 could be 41% less than in 2022. 

Government tinkering with ETS settings and talk there will be no further forests on land use classes (LUC) 1-5, and a potential 15,000ha forestry quota for LUC 6, appears to have spooked investors. 

Hayes says while the Government ponders forestry and ETS policy moves, it also needs to consider obligations on carbon forest owners to manage fire risk. 

“Surely it’s reasonable to insist investors cashing in on carbon income take measures similar to production foresters, such as fire breaks and access to water ponds, to limit the fire risk to themselves and neighbours?” 

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.

In Focus Podcast |  Government asked to rein in councils

Federated Farmers is calling on the government to tell councils to pause work on freshwater reforms. Otago Feds member Luke Kane says with signals pointing to changes in water regulations, it makes sense for regional councils to hit the brakes.

Horizons Regional Council is leaving landowners along the Ōroua and Pohangina rivers in the dark over potential major changes to flood management, Ian Strahan says. 

“These are the same ratepayers stumping up half a million dollars a year in targeted river rates,” the Federated Farmers Manawatū-Rangitikei president says. 

“They’re also the ones hit the hardest when the rivers flood.  

“The council’s communication and engagement with them over proposed new ways to manage rivers has been totally inadequate and it really grinds my gears. 

“We’ve got a regional council that’s good at consulting, but not so good at getting the views and inputs of the stakeholders that will have to live with the impacts of their decisions.” 

Memories of high rainfall in February 2004 that caused widespread flood damage in Manawatū-Rangitikei and Whanganui live on strongly in many people’s minds, Strahan says.   

For landowners next to the Ōroua and Pohangina, especially north of Feilding, Cyclone Gabrielle last year was even worse. 

“A lot of rain hit the Ruahine ranges and surged down those rivers,” Strahan says.  

“Bank protection, rock work, tied trees and other infrastructure in these rivers’ catchment schemes were smashed.” 

The damage was put at $8 million, swamping the $630,000 built up in reserves. 

Last year Horizons was given $300,000 from the Government to look at ‘nature-based solutions’ to things like flood management and aquatic wildlife mobility.  

It’s well recognised that man-made solutions, such as river channel straightening, rock groynes and stopbanks, help contain rivers and protect property in smaller floods, but also degrade river ecology. 

In large floods, these solutions can increase risk because the energy contained at high flow is released in powerful torrents if the banks break or are overtopped. 

A governance group was formed last November to oversee the creation of “an holistic and sustainable” flood protection model for the Pohangina and Ōroua rivers, and the section of Manawatū river between them. 

The group’s aims include prioritising the river’s room “to move to express her natural character”, restoring riparian margins, increasing channel size and capacity, and maintaining fish passage and habitat. 

The catchment schemes for the Pohangina and Ōroua rivers were set up many years ago. 

Their purpose was to protect people, property and infrastructure, and allow for the productive potential of land use to be realised. 

Strahan says the objectives of the proposed new approach are a million miles away from the stated original purpose. 

“It seems that with the council’s new direction being investigated, every community and interest is being catered for except landowners adjacent to the river, who are footing the lion’s share of the bills.  

“Nature should not be prioritised at the expense of everything else – there needs to be a balance.” 

Strahan agrees that, in the face of devastating floods, and predictions we’ll see more of them, alternative solutions deserve debate. 

“I get it. Something needs doing and we may need to do it differently. 

“We haven’t had a decent flood since Gabrielle along those rivers, and just as well. The next flood will severely impact the area.   

“There’s high-quality farmland along there with zero protection. Flooded rivers will eat straight into that and take a lot of land, infrastructure and potentially buildings with it.” 

Strahan says he elbowed his way onto the governance group out of concern about the way things were heading.   

He also believed two existing farmer representatives on the group were not able to adequately relay what was happening to landowners. 

“Horizons have the addresses to send out rates bills but not, apparently, to send updates on what’s going on – nor to hold meetings.” 

He tried to get those addresses so he could do it himself, but this was refused. 

At a farmer meeting where the topic came up, Strahan says landowners had excellent information to share about flood experiences and their thoughts on solutions. 

“I don’t like to think how much money and resource is being swallowed up in administration and investigating side issues, which could be spent on actual works. 

“Councils don’t seem able to do things efficiently, unlike the rest of the economy.   

“But they go tearing off in a direction, with an agenda, and a governance group on which the people with the most skin in the game are poorly represented.” 

Strahan intends inviting the council chair, and any councillors willing to come, to visit his farm and hear from farmers directly. 

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.

Kiwi farmers stand to save big on energy bills, create new revenue streams and build resilience to power outages by investing in solar and batteries, Mike Casey says.   

“There is an opportunity on most farms in New Zealand to start saving money today by adopting at least some of the electric technology available,” the chief executive of Rewiring Aotearoa says. 

“By electrifying their machines and running them off solar and battery systems, farmers could save tens of thousands a year in operational costs. 

“And if they have enough panels and batteries, they can go one step further and make money by selling electricity back to the grid. 

“Generating and storing your own electricity also means you might not even notice grid outages during adverse weather events. It really enhances rural resilience.” 

Casey told the Federated Farmers Podcast the cost of solar panels, batteries and electric machinery is coming down all the time, so the barrier to entry is quickly falling. 

He says there are a couple of obvious places for many farmers to start on their shift to solar. 

“The first is those large irrigation pumps, which might run your pivots or even your K-Line system, and the other is those large chillers that exist on dairy farms. 

“Those are both electric already and I think just beginning to generate energy from solar to run those is one of the best, first steps you can make. 

“The great thing about this is it’s super modular: you can continue to add more solar panels and more batteries into a system over time, and you just grow organically.” 

Casey, well known for establishing the world’s first fully electric cherry orchard in Central Otago, says he’s not preaching that every farmer should go 100% electric right now. 

“That won’t be practical for many farmers because, for example, there are no 200-horsepower electric tractors on the market at the moment.
“But there’s a lot of other low-hanging fruit out there. 

“It’s just about looking at where the technologies are available off the shelf right now for you to save a lot of money and potentially create a new revenue stream.” 

By using solar power and diesel-free machinery on his Forest Lodge cherry orchard, Casey has reduced the cost of generating power down to about one-fifth of what it would cost from the grid.

“We probably spent about $450,000 more on machines putting this business together and making it fully electric, but we save about $40,000 a year in energy costs. 

“It stacks up with a reasonably good ROI (return on investment) of just over 10 years, and that was based on 2020 prices.

“The good thing is the price of all this technology has just continued to come down over the last couple of years, so it’s a pretty exciting space to be playing in now.”

One sticking point for farmers is that, at present, they can’t gain the full value from rooftop solar when they have multiple connection points on one farm, Casey says. 

“These electricity connections all have separate bills from retailers, so solar can’t be used across the whole farm without having to be exported on a low export tariff and then imported again on a much higher tariff. 

“This destroys much of the economic incentive for installing solar on many farms.” 

It’s an issue Rewiring Aotearoa hears about often from farmers, and the organisation has called on the Government to make some changes. 

“What we’d like to see is that farms with multiple connection points should be able to group them together for billing purposes,” Casey says. 

“There may be other valid solutions, but we think the most straightforward way to do this is to net the imports and exports across all the connections at one site and bill on this net basis. 

“This would require a change to regulation that means fairer incentives for farmers to install solar.”

Casey says this would help unlock a new renewable supply that would help push down high electricity prices, benefiting all Kiwi consumers.

If each of the roughly 50,000 Kiwi farms installed mid-scale solar systems, they could generate electricity equal to 63-75% of the country’s current total consumption.

Rewiring Aotearoa is also asking the Government to level the playing field so customers with solar and batteries can compete with the big generators. 

“Our 20th century energy system was one-way: from generators to homes, farms and businesses.

“But the system needs to be two-way. Customers need to be seen as a critical part of the infrastructure, and they need to be rewarded fairly for their contribution.” 

As we mark 125 years since the establishment of New Zealand’s most influential rural advocacy organisation, it’s timely to reflect on the journey that has shaped Federated Farmers into the organisation it is today. 

The founding era: the birth of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union

The story begins in Kaitaia on 18 September 1899 with the formation of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union (NZFU) by Thomas Portland Smith, an early pioneer of the dairy industry who had settled on raw land in the Far North. 

By the late 19th century, our budding agricultural sector was facing increasing headwinds, with market fluctuations, land management issues, and the emerging challenge of navigating complex government policies. 

Smith, a forward-thinking farmer and rural advocate, quickly recognised the need for a single unified voice to strengthen farmers’ position to create leverage when engaging with the government. 

The NZFU provided a platform for farmers to come together, discuss common issues, and negotiate collectively for better pricing and fair land management rules. 

Founding members understood that a strong, organised group could better negotiate with suppliers, government officials, and other stakeholders. 

The union quickly gained traction, particularly in the North Island, offering services and becoming a powerful advocate for farming families. 

The organisation’s first national conference was held in 1902.

A South Island collective: the Sheep Owners’ Federation

Only a decade later, in 1910, similar manoeuvring was happening in Canterbury with the formation of the New Zealand Sheepowners Federation by Henry Acland, of Mt Peel Station.

During this era, Canterbury, with its expansive pastoral lands, was a major hub for sheep farming – the cornerstone of the New Zealand economy at the time. 

Like Smith, Acland recognised the need for a unified voice to promote the interests of sheep owners and address issues like fluctuating wool prices, disease outbreaks, and the need for improved farming practices and infrastructure.

Early members banded together to share knowledge and leverage their collective influence to negotiate better terms for wool and mutton, and to secure more favourable conditions for their operations.

Acland served as president of the Sheepowners Federation until his death in 1942. 

Merger and birth of Federated Farmers: 1945

In the aftermath of World War 2, a significant milestone was reached as the New Zealand Farmers Union and the Sheepowners Federation merged into one organisation: Federated Farmers. 

Although controversial at the time, the merger was driven by a desire, and need, to form a more united and influential agricultural body that could effectively address the needs of all farmers, not just one sector. 

Federated Farmers’ formation marked the beginning of a new era for farming advocacy in New Zealand. The organisation emerged as a stronger, more cohesive body with a broader mandate to represent all farmers.

In the decades after the merger, Federated Farmers continued to grow and adapt to the changing agricultural landscape, with developing technologies, shifting market dynamics, and evolving government policies. 

A proud legacy: celebrating 125 years of farmer advocacy

The journey of Federated Farmers, beginning with the vision of both Thomas Portland Smith and Henry Acland, is a testament to the enduring importance of organised farmer advocacy in New Zealand. 

The merger of the two organisations led to the formation of a powerful and inclusive cross-sector body that remains committed to advancing the interests of farmers, supporting rural communities, and contributing to the growth of our agricultural sector to this day. 

We’re incredibly proud of our 125-year legacy of advocating for farmers – and we’re looking forward to the next 125 years too.

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.

Uniting farmers from across dairy, meat and wool, and arable to present one strong and united voice is no easy feat at the best of times. 

To have done it consistently for 125 years is something Federated Farmers are incredibly proud of, the organisation’s president Wayne Langford says. 

“Since the day we were founded, we’ve been standing up for farmers and rural communities, giving them a strong voice, and advocating for what’s fair. 

“We’ve been there through it all: the booms and busts of farming, significant land use change, market downturns, and the removal of subsidies,” Langford says. 

The Federation’s roots go back to 18 September 1899, when the first properly constituted Farmers’ Union branch was formed in Kaitaia by Northland dairy farmer Thomas Portland Smith. 

Langford says, since that day, the organisation has played a significant role in New Zealand’s history that even detractors or critics find difficult to dismiss. 

“Federated Farmers has one of the most recognisable, trusted and respected brands in the country – and that’s taken time to build over the years. 

“I look back at some of the respected names that have gone through Federated Farmers’ leadership since the organisation began in 1899.

“Those are the names the organisation’s reputation has been built upon, and that’s a legacy I’m very, very proud to be a part of.” 

While Federated Farmers’ core mandate has always been championing farmers’ interests, that brief has grown over time to include the rest of rural New Zealand too, Langford says. 

“Whenever there’s an issue that’s important to rural communities – whether that be roading, education, or health – Federated Farmers has been there as an advocate.

“That’s still the case today, where we engage on everything from banking issues and council rates through to digital connectivity and pest control.”  

Langford says the organisation has to navigate differences between various sectors and provinces, but that’s where the organisation’s strength comes from. 

“We’re an incredibly democratic and diverse grassroots organisation, and there’s always plenty of robust debate on the big issues affecting farming.

“That’s what really sets us apart from other organisations. We can’t just take a position that works for dairy, meat and wool, or arable farmers.

“We have to really confront those tough discussions as a collective group and find a pan-sector position that will work for all farmers – not just one sector.” 

None of the work Federated Farmers do would be possible without the support of loyal members who choose to pay a sub each year, Langford says. 

“It might feel good to have a rant on Facebook, and sure you might get a few likes, but does that really make a difference when it comes to Government regulation?

“I don’t think it does. What makes a real difference for farming families is having a strong team of policy experts behind you who are really across the detail.

“Having those people working on the big issues, engaging with politicians, and providing evidence to change decision-makers’ minds is what secures the wins.”

If you support Federated Farmers’ work for New Zealand’s rural communities, call 0800 327 646 and become a member today.

A few Federated Farmers milestones:

1922 – Meat Export Control Act initiated by NZ Farmers’ Union president Sir William Polson to ensure a fair share of export meat profits for farmers.
1925 – Women’s Division of the NZ Farmers Union was founded by Florence Polson, Sir William’s wife. It grew to become today’s Rural Women NZ.
1969 – first Fieldays held at Te Rapa racecourse. The idea of John Kneebone, later a Federated Farmers president, it was a success and grew to become a multi-billion-dollar event.
1977 – Farming leaders worked with the Government to establish the QEII National Trust. Now more than 5000 covenants protect 200,000ha of special natural areas, most of it on farms.
The Outdoors Access Commission was sparked by Federated Farmers’ 2005 orange ribbon campaign, pushing back on a government proposal for mandated access across farmland to rivers and lakes.
2019 – Federated Farmers helped stop the Government bringing in a capital gains tax, saving an estimated $3-6K per farm.
2024 – Federated Farmers led the charge to see He Waka Eke Noa and unscientific methane target dumped.
2024 – Federated Farmers secures inquiry into rural banking competition and interest rates.

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.

Overhauling the vocational training system is a chance to build something that works for farmers and makes farming “sexy again”, Toby Williams says. 

The Government has decided to disestablish Te Pūkenga, the organisation responsible for vocational education and training across New Zealand.

This follows concerns that the system hasn’t been delivering for key industries like farming.

Williams, Federated Farmers education spokesperson, says the agricultural sector desperately needs the Government to get it right. 

“We’ve really lacked good training and education for young people coming into farming over the past decade. The whole thing needs a reset,” Williams says.

“The Government’s reform is a great opportunity to create something that serves farmers and the wider agricultural sector much, much better.

“Both farm employers and young people entering the industry have suffered because of the current broken model.” 

Williams says farmers are an ageing population and new blood is needed. 

“We really need to find a way of making this whole industry sexy again, and providing high-quality education is a big part of that. 

“If we can set up a training system that gives young farmers an amazing experience, with lots of hands-on learning, that’ll help draw them in and keep them on our farms.”  

Federated Farmers has made a number of recommendations to the Government, one of them being that experienced farmers are heavily involved in the design and review of course content.

“What we’ve seen is all these people appointed into high-up positions making decisions about farm training, but they have no practical farming experience,” Williams says. 

“As we set up a new system, we need farmers or ex-farmers up there at the highest levels to ensure the training works on the ground.”

Training must also prioritise practical, hands-on learning over theoretical learning, Williams says. 

“Training in recent years has become way too book-heavy. That just doesn’t work because most farmers prefer learning on the job.

“It’s ok if they need to go off-farm occasionally for some of their training, but it should be in small groups with other young local farmers, and it shouldn’t be for lengthy periods. 

“Experience shows us that if you try to get these kids to go and do classwork off the farm for a week, some just won’t show up.”

Federated Farmers also supports the use of micro-credentials. 

“We’d like to see young farmers doing lots of little learning modules that help them gain the specific skills they need,” Williams says. 

“Dairy, sheep and beef, and arable are all different to each other, so the modules need to be specific to each one.”

Federated Farmers is calling for a system that helps farmers easily identify which training providers are delivering the best results.

“This kind of system would allow the top ITOs (Industry Training Organisations) to build strong reputations for quality and practical education,” Williams says.

“By recognising those who consistently perform well, it’ll be clear to farmers which providers are worth their time, and others will be motivated to raise their standards to earn the same level of trust and respect.”

Excellent pastoral care must also be central to agricultural training programmes, William says. 

“It’s very common for us to have 15- or 16-year-old kids leaving home for the first time to go and work on a farm. 

“We need to make sure these young people are wrapped in great support and looked after, so they have a very positive experience, or they’ll leave farming and never come back.

“Kids also need to have a way of reporting back to the people in charge about how they’re feeling, so there’s a really good monitoring system in place.” 

Williams is also concerned the farmers’ voice, and advice from the wider primary sector, could be ignored in the submission process. 

“The vocational education and training system covers a vast array of industries, so we have concerns around how well this will land for farming.

“All the other industries have similar issues with attracting and retaining talent, so I just hope we don’t get lost in this process. 

“On the flipside, if this is done well, we could end up with a model that sets young farmers up to flourish, which is an exciting thought. 

“This is our chance to get it right – we won’t have another one for a long time.” 

Submissions on the vocational education and training reform closed on September 12.

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.

In Focus Podcast |  Speaking up for farmers since 1899

Federated Farmers turns 125 this year and president Wayne Langford joins Bryan to reflect on the past century and a bit. Following a recent restructure Wayne says Feds is ready for its next challenge as it works to ensure farmer voices are heard.

Federated Farmers says regional councils are continuing to plough ahead with changes to freshwater rules and the Government needs to take urgent action to pull them into line. 

“It’s completely outrageous what’s going on with these regional councils,” says Colin Hurst, Federated Farmers vice-president and spokesperson for freshwater.

“We’ve got a situation where a number of councils around the country are deliberately choosing to ignore the direction of central Government and push ahead with plan changes. 

“These councils don’t seem to care in the slightest that Ministers have said the national rules are changing, or that they’ll be needlessly wasting ratepayers’ money.”

Otago Regional Council (ORC) has recently faced intense media and political scrutiny for its continued insistence on pushing through expensive new freshwater rules in October.

Environment Canterbury (ECan) has recently started a 10-day consultation on a plan change that will incorporate new rules for winter grazing and dairy land use into its regional plan. 

Environment Southland (ES) is also planning to notify a new regional plan in the coming months that will introduce onerous new freshwater rules for farmers.  

“The situation has now become so dire that we’re calling on central Government to take drastic measures and intervene,” Hurst says. 

“This is serious stuff that could completely reshape our farming landscapes and rural communities, in spite of a new national direction coming for freshwater management.” 

This week Federated Farmers has formally written to Environment Minister Penny Simmonds urging her to intervene.  

The letter calls on the Government to take urgent legislative action to prevent regional councils from notifying these plan changes until a new national direction is in place. 

“We’re asking the Government to put a ‘pause’ in place while it establishes a new framework to replace the Resource Management Act (RMA),” Hurst says. 

“The Government has been very clear it will be setting a new national direction for how freshwater should be managed by councils and rewriting resource management laws.

“By continuing to move forward with these plan changes, regional councils are essentially giving central Government the middle finger and actively undermining that work.” 

ECan intends to push go on new regulations before the National Environment Standards expire on 31 December, which Hurst says is overriding the Government’s repeal of those regulations. 

Several other regional councils have also signalled their intent to push through plan changes in the first half of 2025. 

“The sheer arrogance of these regional councils needlessly pushing ahead with these plan changes is completely unbelievable,” Hurst says.

“By turning a deaf ear and blindly changing ahead, all they’re going to end up doing is wasting time and money, and completely eroding what little trust may remain with their ratepayers.”  

Federated Farmers is concerned that councils passing new freshwater plans and regional policy statements risk locking in the previous Government’s unobtainable freshwater bottom lines and Te Mana o Te Wai requirements. 

With the RMA set to be repealed, there’s also a very real prospect that ratepayer money will be wasted developing rules that councils will need to change almost immediately, Hurst says. 

“These regional councils have made it very clear that they’re hell-bent on notifying these plan changes and won’t stop unless they’re forced to.

“This means, unless the Government intervenes, the likes of Canterbury, Otago, and Southland will ram through new rules before the national direction is reviewed.

“In practical terms, this would essentially mean that despite the Labour Government being voted out of office, its National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 will be locked in.” 

Hurst says that would be a bitter pill for farmers to swallow.

“If that were to happen, all of the new Government’s efforts to make freshwater regulations more practical, affordable or workable will make absolutely no difference behind the farm gate.

“The most frustrating thing about all of this is that farmers are really committed to improving freshwater outcomes and want to do the right thing.

“We just need an enabling regulatory framework that allows us to make those improvements in a way that doesn’t stop us from farming altogether.” 

Federated Farmers has invited Minister Simmonds to discuss the matter further.

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.

Given dairy earns New Zealand $26 billion a year in exports, it baffles Bex Green why farmers have to jump through so many hoops to secure suitable staff. 

“It’s well-proven that, in many rural areas, there aren’t enough willing and suitable Kiwis to fill dairy farm roles. That’s not going to change in the foreseeable future. 

“But farmers desperate to plug workforce gaps have to grapple with unnecessary costs, delays and bureaucracy to bring in migrant workers,” says Green, Federated Farmers North Canterbury senior vice-president and dairy chair. 

“Lengthy vacancies are taking a huge toll on farmers’ mental health, team rosters and production efficiency.” 

Green, who farms in Culverden, was recently named Federated Farmers’ Dairy Advocate of the Year for speaking out on these sorts of issues. 

She says Federated Farmers was grateful when Immigration Minister Erica Stanford made urgent changes to immigration rules to help relieve pressure on dairy farmers this calving season.  

“We welcomed those concessions, but the reality is they’re band aids when the whole system needs surgery,” Green says. 

“We can’t stumble along season by season with this uncertainty over our workforce. 

“Our sector is looking for long-term, practical solutions.” 

Still unexplained, Green says, is the “gobsmacking” hike in Immigration New Zealand’s fee for an Accredited Employer Work Visa, from $750 to $1560.   

Green is now on the Federated Farmers national dairy executive and says getting in the room with officials to thrash out practical, stable migrant worker policy settings is a top priority.  

“That includes ditching the onerous requirement that a dairy worker from overseas, who may have little or no farm experience, must be paid the median wage.” 

Green’s work fighting for farmers is what earned her the Advocate of the Year award, says Richard McIntyre, Federated Farmers national dairy chair. 

“Bex is one of those people who actually gets stuff done.  

“She sees the challenges farmers are facing and she feeds those concerns up to us in the dairy executive so we can advocate strongly with decision-makers.  

“She’s incredibly good at speaking up for farmers around her – both in her district and wider – on immigration and other issues like challenges around non-replacement calves.”  

McIntyre says Green isn’t someone to appear a lot in the media, but her work behind the scenes is exemplary. 

“She’s a real dairy leader and she’s going to go a long way in Feds.” 

Green and husband Blair contract milk 1000 cows and own 10% of the herd. 

As essentially first-generation farmers, without family land to fall back on, the couple hope to move from contract milking to sharemilking or an equity arrangement. 

“I’ve found in Canterbury that there’s a lot more corporate farms, and you’ve got to forge the right relationship with the right farmer to help you progress,” Green says.  

“The key is a relationship that benefits both parties. That’s the way to move forward.” 

Aside from her focus on farmer advocacy, Green’s a big believer in having interests off the farm.  

“I think it makes you a better partner and parent.” 

In recent years, since she and Blair moved from Cheviot to Culverden, one of her main off-farm activities has been road cycling.  

“I came under the wing of a multi-sport trainer and progressed from regarding bunch riding as a scary thing, to absolutely loving it.” 

In February this year her team competed in the iconic Coast to Coast and won their open mixed category. Blair kayaked, a fellow farmer completed the run over the mountain range, and Green cycled 140km. 

She says she felt part of the Federated Farmers “family” more or less as soon as she joined five years ago.   

She’d met Tyler and Wayne Langford through the Dairy Women’s Network and put her hand up for a seat on the North Canterbury executive when there was a vacancy. 

Green is relishing the networking and support Federated Farmers offers, and the opportunities to get stuck into relevant issues. 

“It takes you outside of your farm and business to do something for your community and wider district. 

“You’ve got to have a strong voice and I certainly don’t mind using mine to help fellow farmers.”  

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.

In Focus Podcast |  Pests a problem on the farm

A survey by Federated Farmers reveals its members are spending big money on pest control but are barely making any headway. And, as its pest control spokesperson, Richard McIntyre says having the Department of Conservation as a neighbour only makes the fight harder.

Goats, pigs, deer and other wild animals are costing farmers huge sums and taking a significant toll on indigenous biodiversity, Federated Farmers say. 

“This is a very serious problem that’s costing Kiwi farmers almost a quarter of a billion dollars every year,” Federated Farmers pest management spokesperson Richard McIntyre says.

“These pests aren’t just chewing into farmers’ bottom lines; they’re also chewing into our native bush and completely undermining conservation efforts.”

A recent survey of more than 700 Federated Farmers members from across the country shows feral animals are costing farmers at least $213 million a year.

That figure includes a direct spend of $5.45 per hectare on pest control ($74 million per year) and $10.22 per hectare in lost production ($139 million per year).

“That is a huge cost for rural communities to be carrying at a time when many farming families are already struggling to turn a profit,” McIntyre says.

“It’s also a very conservative estimate and doesn’t include things such as the cost of restoring damaged pasture, fixing broken fences or the loss of trees.”

McIntyre says goat, pig and deer populations are booming in most parts of the country, but things are particularly bad on farms bordering Department of Conservation (DOC) land.

“DOC are widely regarded by farmers as the neighbour you really don’t want to have because they don’t fulfil their obligations to control wild animals and weeds,” McIntyre says.

“Farmers are spending huge sums of money trying to get wild animal populations under control, but until we see more investment on public land, nothing is going to change.

“Unfortunately, DOC are spending just $13 million a year managing large browsing animals like goats, pigs and deer.

“This simply isn’t addressing the problem, with DOC monitoring showing deer and goat prevalence increasing 28% in just the last 10 years.”

McIntyre says DOC’s efforts are a drop in the bucket, with the annual cost to farming families being more than 15 times the Government spend. 

“Farmers could spend all the money in the world on pest control, but if we don’t see similar efforts on public land, we’re never going to make a dent in these populations.

“Hordes of wild animals will simply keep walking out of the bush, where they’re breeding like rabbits and destroying forest understories, and onto our farms.”

National parks comprise about one-third of New Zealand, but a quarter of the country’s indigenous biodiversity is located on farmland.

“If the Government continues to under-invest in pest control, we’re all going to pay the price of declining biodiversity, lost production and reduced exports,” McIntyre says.

“We need to get on top of this problem now. If we allow these animals to keep breeding, their populations, and the cost to control them, will only continue to grow.

“We appreciate the Government is under huge financial pressures, but this isn’t something New Zealand can afford to scrimp and save on.”

McIntyre says it isn’t necessarily about the Government having to spend more money; it could simply be a case of reprioritising existing spending to deliver better outcomes.

“DOC should be performing exceptionally well given their budget has increased from $402 million in 2017 to $710 million in the last financial year.

“Perhaps they should be spending more of that money on hunters and trappers on the ground controlling pests, and less on back-office staff and expensive Environment Court lawyers.”

The Federated Farmers survey found just on half of farmers reported pest populations expanding in the last five years, and 28% said numbers are ‘significantly higher’.

More than 30% of those surveyed said their shooting, trapping and poisoning efforts are making no inroads into reducing feral pest numbers.

“Farmers just don’t have the resources to keep rabbits, deer, wallabies, Canadian geese, feral cats and all the other pest populations at sustainable levels,” McIntyre says.

“Recreational hunters are doing a great job of supporting farmers, but things are now nearing crisis point and will only continue to get worse.

“It’s time for a serious intervention.”

The full results of Federated Farmers’ pest survey can be found at fedfarm.org.nz/PestSurvey 

Federated Farmers, New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation, has established a news and insights partnership with AgriHQ, the country’s leading rural publisher, to give the farmers of New Zealand a more informed, united and stronger voice. Federated Farmers news and commentary appears each week in its own section of the Farmers Weekly print edition and online.