B+LNZ backs winter grazing rules review recommendations
16 Dec, 2020 02:00 AM
3 minutes to read
The Country
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says it strongly endorses the recommendations of a review into intensive winter grazing rules.
The Environment Southland-led process had been a highly effective way of addressing major concerns with the new rules, B+LNZ chairman Andrew Morrison said.
Morrison thanked Environment Minister David Parker and Minister for Agriculture Damien O Connor for agreeing to consider the recommendations, and also for the way the process was run. There was genuine collaboration across the regional council, sector groups, farmers and Fish & Game. Throughout the process the group maintained a strong focus on workable ways to achieve the desired freshwater health outcomes.
Wednesday, 16 December, 2020 - 17:31
DairyNZ supports recommendations to the Government from an advisory group looking to improve winter grazing rules for farmers and achieve better environmental outcomes.
The Southland Advisory Group was formed after concern from farmers and sector organisations that a number of new winter grazing rules were impractical, challenging to meet and costly for councils to implement.
The rules are part of the Government’s National Environmental Standard for Freshwater. While we support the intent of the Government’s regulations, which is to protect the environment, the rules need to be fair, reasonable and achievable, said DairyNZ strategy and investment leader Dr David Burger.
“Despite the challenges of 2020 including drought and Covid-19, sheep farmers demonstrated why they are the world’s best, their resilience and the agility of their farming systems has meant they’ve performed outstandingly and this should be a real point of pride for our sector,” Beef and Lamb chief executive Sam McIvor said. Despite this, export volumes would probably be significantly affected by the follow-on effects of the drought that struck a number of regions across the country earlier this year. This was because of lower animal weights and the retention of sheep for breeding and building up stock numbers, he said.