Southern farming advocates recognised
Southern farmers were among those recognised at the Federated Farmers annual meeting last month.
Federated Farmers' national awards celebrate farmers who had gone above and beyond for farmers, rural communities, and the wider agricultural sector.
Southland Federated Farmers president Jason Herrick was presented the advocate of the year award.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford said Mr Herrick had been a standout communicator on behalf of farmers.
"When it comes to emerging farming leaders, Jason Herrick is without a doubt one to watch. He's got a huge contribution to make and a big future ahead of him,
"Whether it's calling out Fish & Game's antics or pushing back on unworkable, costly new farming rules, Jason's exemplified what Federated Farmers is all about — fighting for farmers.
"I've been so impressed with not just his workload and ability to prosecute issues in the media, but also with his personal growth and development as a leader in his community.
Sonia Dillon ... Arable advocate of the year.
"He's been tenacious and articulate, and he's shown a thick skin. You can't stick your neck out for farmers without copping some heat back, but he's taken it all in his stride."
The arable advocate of the year award went to Southland Federated Farmers arable chairwoman Sonia Dillon, who operates a mixed cropping and seed production business.
Mrs Dillon had been extremely strong on local advocacy, Mr Langford said.
"There are some issues in Southland that are quite specific for that area and she's great at getting them airtime and discussion.
"That's particularly true when it comes to transportation and logistics, with Southland being at the bottom of the country.
"She's pointed out that if it costs $60 to get something from Christchurch to Southland, how come grain that comes from Canterbury can be cheaper than it's priced in Southland? It's a fair point. The price should be what it costs to buy, plus freight — that's how it should work."
Mrs Dillon was also a great asset for the Federated Farmers Arable Council, Mr Langford said.
"She's always happy to bring challenging issues to the forefront, so the council can look for solutions." — APL
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Environmental lobby group Greenpeace Aotearoa accused the Government of stripping freshwater protections to bolster corporate profits, while Federated Farmers suggested the Government had to pause freshwater rules. What are farmer groups saying now, particularly about their influence on political parties, and accusations of undue influence over that of the public interest? Hurst, of Federated Farmers, says it's 'entirely appropriate' for the Government to engage regularly with farmers and the wider primary sector, 'particularly when you consider the potential impact and cost of these rules'. Farming rules should be practical, affordable and fair, he says. 'We also want to make sure any regulation will actually be effective and achieve better environmental outcomes. 'It's important we get these rules right, particularly when you consider the huge economic contribution of agriculture for the country.' DairyNZ's David Burger, the general manager of farm solutions and policy, says it engages constructively with the government of the day on matters affecting dairy farmers 'and appreciates that other groups do the same'. Kate Acland, the chair of Beef + Lamb NZ, says farming impacts on freshwater need to be managed but there were significant issues 'and massive implications' under the previous government's approach. 'It's critical that ministers and officials first understand the issues, but also critical that they spend time with the sector to ensure rules are practical and workable.' Acland notes anyone can make a submission on the consultation, which will go through parliamentary processes, including a select committee. Ministers respond Newsroom asks ministers McClay, Hoggard, Bishop, Simmonds, and Associate Agriculture Minister Nicola Grigg for comment. Bishop responds, but he's silent on ministerial meetings and the influence of agriculture. We'll quote his comments in full – the reason for which will soon be apparent. 'The current public consultation on freshwater national direction, which runs for eight weeks closing on 27 July, has been shaped by feedback received from a wide range of groups during the targeted engagement phase.' (Prickett points out this selected group didn't include non-polluting commercial interests like the tourism industry.) Bishop continues: 'During targeted engagement, some groups sought to discuss specific matters of interest or asked to continue discussions at additional meetings. 'Officials from the Ministry for the Environment accommodated these requests wherever possible, and the number and duration of meetings varied as a result. 'All submissions received during the public consultation period will be considered, along with feedback from the ongoing engagement, before progressing any freshwater national direction changes. 'Note that there will also be a second phase of public submissions later this year, when exposure drafts will be released for further consultation.' (Exposure drafts are the raw wording of legislation, released to identify potential problems before it's introduced to Parliament. This seems like a concession by the Government to environmental groups.) A day after Bishop's comments were sent, the Ministry for the Environment provided Newsroom with this statement, attributed to Nik Andic, the manager of freshwater natural environment policy: 'The current public consultation on freshwater national direction, which runs for 8 weeks and closes on 27 July, has been shaped by the feedback we received from a wide range of groups during targeted engagement. 'During targeted engagement, some groups sought to discuss specific matters of interest or asked to continue discussions at additional meetings. Officials from the Ministry for the Environment accommodated these requests wherever possible, and the number and duration of meetings varied as a result. 'We will consider all submissions received during the public consultation period, along with feedback from ongoing engagement, before providing advice to ministers on any freshwater national direction changes. 'Note that there will also be a second phase of public consultation on freshwater national direction changes later this year, when exposure drafts are released.' Farming groups' influence on Government policy might be a concern but at least the public can be assured the minister and ministry are singing from the same hymn sheet.
