Waikato AgriBusiness News September 2020

10 WAIKATO AGRIBUSINESS NEWS September 2020
If you are wedded to your farm,
it’s time to get engaged
If you didn’t already know: Every province
of Federated Farmers is fully involved with
voicing members’ concerns around the
Essential Fresh Water Rules and Council
Policy guidance.
For every province the
impacts will differ. When
it comes to cropping (a
practice taken out by farmers
to keep stock off most of the
farm to protect soil on the rest
of the farm and supply a plentiful
feed source so animals are
happy).
Having animals on flat
areas in my district are prone
to flooding and pugging, which
the regulations hope to avoid;
whereas using some slope
avoids that and there are other
ways to mitigate other risks.
But now the majority are going
to need to apply for consents
next October to prove it.
If you have always done
what you are doing, you do
have a short-term existing use
right (six months) in the meantime.
If your farm is mapped as
low sloped (that does not mean
By Jacqueline Hahn
President Waikato Federated Farmers
it is) but stock exclusion rules
apply to that mapped area, this
map cannot be used as evidence
for suitable cropping
land.
Make sense? No, I don’t
think so either, and that is just
two examples, trust me there
are many more.
The Regional Council is
particularly concerned about
the mapping of and proof
every culvert meets regulations
on a farm. How do any of
us deal with it?
They are also concerned
about the rules that affect how
monitoring data will have to
change to real-time because,
as determined in the Collaborative
Stakeholders Group, our
monitoring system is not fit for
that purpose. And the cost…
ouch and that effects every
single water user in our region,
town or country.
The upgrades required to
the three waters is a huge bill
facing urban communities. As
natural systems have now a
clear priority, human needs and
economics is not an excuse.
We have had some success
with Ministers Parker and
O’Connor agreeing to improve
the maps and some definition
changes. Feds are literally the
experts in sorting practical
issues in regulation - the legal
battles and hearings we get
involved with are eyewatering.
That’s why having us in
the room is of value and that’s
what a membership helps pay
for.
Protesting 20 years ago
is what got us in the current
pickle. Providing sound logical
evidence and solutions are
more appreciated. Building
good working relationships is
what works. No one wants to
work for someone who yells
at every misstep, why would
those who govern us be any
different?
But we are persistent. Like
a pen being clicked we are
hard to ignore, we see issues
that need addressing for the
whole community, others will
join us, our industry groups
are now also aiding this post
regulation discussion, and it’s
appreciated.
Yesterday I was at a Fire
and Emergency meeting in
Rotorua, where the threat of
carbon farming on fire hazards
was brought up; this too is ripe
for some proactive regulations
to avoid a future disaster. Most
risk comes from outside the
properties that burn, so this fire
season remember - it’s a spark
that starts a fire.
Another current issue is
TB infections. The current
infection stems from vector
sources. We have pigs on our
farm in a place they have never
been seen in living memory,
someone is assisting their
spread, that’s a sure way to get
TB spreading and bring back
a certain toxin hunters hate. If
you are in an area that is having
to resort to toxin baits. Be a
responsible owner of animals,
keep them well away and dogs
muzzled until significant rain
has fallen.
Innovation-led LIC
launches investment
fund
Agritech and herd
improvement cooperative
LIC has
launched a new fund to support
innovations with the
potential to positively impact
New Zealand’s valuable dairy
sector.
LIC has launched an early-stage
investment fund,
named the LIC AgCelerator
Fund, for individuals and
entities seeking to develop
innovations that will deliver
value to the dairy industry
from generating higher
yields, improving animal
health, diagnostic tools
and improved traceability
to sustainability, advancements
in breeding techniques
and leveraging big data
for improvements to farm
management.
LIC chief executive
Wayne McNee says annual
investment in upstream agritech
companies grew 44 percent
year-on-year from 2012
to 2018 and a further 1.3 percent
from 2018-2019, highlighting
both the opportunities
and need for expansion.
“It’s important New Zealand
retains its leading dairy
reputation at this critical
time and investing in new
IT’S IMPORTANT NEW ZEALAND
RETAINS ITS LEADING DAIRY
REPUTATION AT THIS CRITICAL
TIME AND INVESTING IN NEW
INNOVATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
IS CENTRAL TO ENSURING THAT.
innovations and technology is
central to ensuring that.”
LIC’s AgCelerator Fund
is designed to help innovators
and entrepreneurs kick-start
their early-stage concepts and
get them launched to market.
McNee says the fund is
also open to established businesses
where there is alignment
with the cooperative’s
innovation-led growth strategy
and ongoing focus on
the core New Zealand dairy
industry.
“LIC has extensive
knowledge of the New Zealand
pasture-based dairy
farming market and can offer
successful applicants to the
fund collaboration benefits
such as R&D support,
mentoring, market and customer
research facilities and
distribution capability.”
LIC corporate development
manager Eleshea
D’Souza manages the
AgCelerator fund.
“LIC has been a corporate
partner of Sprout, a New
Zealand accelerator for agritech
and future food startups,
for five years,” she says.
“We have been impressed
with the level of innovation
and creativity being
demonstrated.
“Our new fund is separate
to this association but
similar in principle in that
we’re looking to fund those
at the pre-seed and seed
stage.”
Those interested in
applying to LIC’s AgCelerator
Fund can find an application
form on LIC’s website.
Tractor & farm machinery
sold & serviced across the
Waikato & Bay of Plenty
CAMBRIDGE
183 Victoria Road
07 827 7159
OTOROHANGA
1 Progress Drive
07 873 4004
ROTORUA
22 Fairy Springs Road
07 343 1915 www.gaz.co.nz