Early Bird I Tuesday June 11th 2024

The Government may use Fieldays to reveal important ETS decision, new survey shops New Zealanders want to repeal freshwater legislation and RWNZ announce new Chief Executive. Welcome to Proud Country's Early Bird - The top things you need to know that impact rural New Zealand delivered to you by 5am, because who doesn’t need better chat beyond the weather! The Government may use Fieldays to reveal important ETS decision The government is expected to finalise its policy on excluding agriculture from the emissions trading scheme (ETS) ahead of the annual Fieldays event, which begins on Wednesday at Mystery Creek near Hamilton.  Last year’s event saw uncertainty around the Labour government’s He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) partnership, following Jacinda Ardern’s resignation as prime minister. National’s agriculture minister, Todd McClay, has previously stated it was “dead” and advocating for postponing emissions pricing to 2030 while establishing a new pricing system board.  National’s coalition partners, Act and NZ First, have shared similar views, arguing against taxing NZ farmers for emissions if their international counterparts aren’t similarly taxed. Sources suggest the government will confirm that agriculture will stay out of the ETS, officially ending HWEN, and form a new pastoral-focused group excluding other sectors like horticulture. Associate agriculture minister Mark Patterson received an update on agricultural emissions pricing in late January, indicating ongoing discussions. The industry is also anticipating announcements on restarting live animal exports with a new "gold standard" and health and safety legislation. Associate agriculture minister Andrew Hoggard, responsible for animal welfare, has been considering advice on reinstating livestock exports by sea. However, this would require changes to the Animal Welfare Act, and Hoggard’s office has yet to provide recent updates on this process. New survey shops New Zealanders want to repeal freshwater legislation A new survey indicates that many New Zealanders find the national freshwater regulations overly restrictive and support their repeal.  Conducted by Curia Market Research from May 5-7, the poll involved 1,000 randomly selected participants. Half of those surveyed supported repealing the rules implemented by the previous Labour Government concerning winter grazing and stock exclusion. Only 29% opposed the repeal, while 22% were undecided. Colin Hurst, vice president and freshwater spokesperson for Federated Farmers, is calling for a localised approach to regulations, tailored to the specific challenges and priorities of each catchment area. The survey results show a strong public alignment with Federated Farmers’ views on water, climate, and farming regulations, dispelling the notion of a rural-urban divide. The data also provides political confidence for efforts to roll back these regulations. The poll revealed that support for repealing the rules was highest among voters for National, ACT, and NZ First, but also present among Labour and Green voters. Additionally, the survey asked about the concept of Te Mana o te Wai and the requirement to involve tangata whenua in managing freshwater. Forty-six percent supported removing these requirements, 31% opposed, and 24% were unsure. Scion joins the fight against facial eczema Research organisation Scion, is leveraging its expertise in economic modelling to support an ambitious program led by Beef + Lamb New Zealand aimed at eliminating the impact of facial eczema on New Zealand's pastoral sector. Senior research economist Richard Yao and resource economist Saeed Solaymani will analyse survey data collected from 600 livestock farmers over a seven-year period to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of new prevention strategies and tools for combating the disease. Facial eczema, caused by a toxin-producing fungus, affects various livestock, including sheep, cattle, deer, goats, and alpacas, leading to significant economic losses estimated at $332 million annually. These losses are due to reduced animal growth rates, fertility, and production, as well as potential significant stock losses during severe outbreaks. With the spread of the disease expected to widen due to climate change, the need for effective prevention and management strategies is more critical than ever. The Eliminating Facial Eczema Impacts (EFEI) program, launched in March by Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, is a $20.75 million partnership funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the government via the Ministry for Primary Industries' Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, and the primary sector. The program aims to develop solutions that reduce reliance on zinc as a preventative measure and minimise the impact of facial eczema.  By enhancing farmer adoption of prevention measures and new treatment technologies, the EFEI program aims to reduce the economic costs associated with the disease by $38 million and achieve an additional $20 million annual increase in benefits to New Zealand's economy after the program ends. Yao and Solaymani will run focus groups and collect survey data from about 600 pastoral farmers, gathering information on farm demographics, revenue, expenditures such as animal health and labour costs, and the impact of facial eczema on profitability. Through rigorous data analysis and economic modelling, the team will assess the effectiveness of interventions and evaluate key factors that influence their uptake. This analysis will help farmers make informed decisions about managing facial eczema on their farms. RWNZ announce new Chief Executive The Board of Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) has announced that Marie Fitzpatrick will take over the role of Chief Executive starting July 1. RWNZ National President Gill Naylor says Fitzpatrick has a strong rural background and diverse professional experience that will benefit the wide range of work Rural Women New Zealand is involved in. Naylor highlighted the importance of government advocacy in RWNZ’s work, pointing out Fitzpatrick’s extensive experience in the public sector, most recently as part of the leadership team at Fisheries New Zealand in the Ministry for Primary Industries. Fitzpatrick also brings a strong background in charitable community service. As co-founder of the Good Bitches Baking Charitable Trust, she grew the organisation from a small group of friends to a nationwide network of over 3,000 volunteers. This experience will be invaluable as RWNZ continues to expand its membership and impact. Fitzpatrick says she is honoured to be given the opportunity to lead Rural Women New Zealand into its centenary year and beyond, as the organisation continues to make a positive impact in rural communities. Gill Naylor also extended gratitude to the outgoing Chief Executive, Gabrielle O’Brien, for her significant contributions over the past three years.  Canterbury Shears to press on despite A&P show cancellation The Canterbury Shears and New Zealand Corriedale Shearing and Woolhandling Championships will proceed as scheduled in November, despite the cancellation of the New Zealand Agricultural Show by the Canterbury A&P Society.  The new chairman of the shears committee, Jonathan Carden-Holdstock confirmed that the championships will be held on November 14-15, coinciding with the traditional show week. The woolhandling titles will be followed by the shearing competitions, which will include the third round of the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit. While the A&P society decided in mid-April to cancel the show for the year, various sections, including shearing, have been working independently to ensure their events continue.  This year marks the 57th edition of the Canterbury Shears, highlighting the enduring spirit and commitment of the shearing community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.