AGRICULTURE will play a key role in rebuilding the economy in the aftermath of covid-19.
Supporting the industry to reach its economic potential will require greater investment in infrastructure to allow it to grow, new National Party agriculture spokesman David Bennett says.
“With farmers and growers across the country experiencing the worst drought in living memory water storage is an example of the sort of investment the Government should be looking at.”
More broadly speaking, those investments include roads and broadband so farmers can make the right economic decisions.
This will help them get the best value for their money and will be balanced with environmental concerns.
“What I’m saying is we need to make sure the Government provides that infrastructure so that farmers can then make the commercial decisions of how best to grow that business and how best to take the opportunities in international markets and deliver to New Zealanders and to the economy.”
The markets where farmers sell their products are demanding an increasingly sustainable product and farmers are best placed to understand that demand and react accordingly, he says.
A member of Parliament since 2005, the Hamilton East MP was named the party’s agriculture spokesman following Todd Muller’s leadership spill.
Waikato-born Bennett attended St John’s College, Hamilton, then went to Victoria University of Wellington, graduating in law and commerce.
Following a stint at KPMG he went dairy farming near Te Awamutu where he remained until he was elected to Parliament in 2005.
He owns a 97-hectare dairy farm on the outskirts of Te Awamutu, farming 320 Jersey cows and a 40ha, 140-cow organic dairy farm at Paterangi, west of Te Awamutu. That farm also has a nearby 38ha runoff block.
Both operations are run by contract milkers.
He also has shares in a third dairy farm, also in the Te Awamutu district.
In Parliament, he served in the Bill English government as Minister of Veterans’ Affairs, Racing and Food Safety. More recently he has chaired the Primary Production Select Committee.
He says the National Party has had a rich history of leaders in the agricultural sector.
Former minister John Luxton was one who influenced him greatly when he arrived in Parliament. More recently Muller was a great example of someone with a strong interest in agriculture.
“He’s done a great job of getting out there amongst the people and finding out what they want and need.
“The National Party is very much a party based on its rural base and has a lot of passionate people that want the rural sector to succeed.”
Bennett says he tries to get back to his farms when he can. It keeps him grounded and in touch with the common, day-to-day realities farmers face.
Being an active farmer also keeps him in touch with the coalface.
“I pay the bills every month and you’re worried about how much cover you have on the farm, you’re worried about stock and you have to meet all the conditions that a farmer has to meet.
“That’s the biggest preparation for this job that you’re going to get. You know the financial strain farmers go through and the last couple of months it’s been tough for a lot of farmers with the weather and the drought and we were no different.
“It gives you a chance to get back to your roots. I love farming, it’s what I am passionate about. When I’m not in politics, when I get a chance, I’m always out there making sure I can help in any way I can.
“It’s a good break from the political system but for me it’s about running my business and trying to do the best I can to make it work.”
Bennett says he is lucky because he has very good staff managing the farms’ day-to-day operations.
“They’re really dedicated to what they are doing and that makes it a lot easier.”
Farmers have to know they are respected and valued and that respect has not always been there, he says.
“In this time of crisis people are coming back to the farming sector as the way to get the country through and I think there’s general support for that that hasn’t been displayed for the last couple of years.”
While he does not believe there are leadership issues in the major farming industries he sees room for improvement at central government level.
While he praised the work Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has done around reforming the DIRA Act and eradicating Mycoplasma bovis he believes there is a vacuum of leadership in central government.
“I don’t see any wider leadership from the Government in what is needed to enable farmers to pay the bills for NZ because the Government is going to rely on them to do that in the next couple of years and engage in that aspirational view of agriculture and horticulture.”
The industry has the best, smartest and most committed people working for it and it needs the Government to support it.
Farmers are worried about how challenges coming their way will affect their businesses and don’t need economic uncertainty, he says.
“They need to be able to react to markets and public opinion and they also need to know they have been listened to and their point of view has been considered so any reforms are science-based and achievable for them and at the same time enables the country to prosper.”
He believes the economic crisis has caused a reflection on the role primary industries have in New Zealand and doubts the Government will use farming and freshwater issues as a political football heading into the election.
“Public opinion is behind farmers because they want them to succeed.
“There are so many natural uncertainties in farming that if you have an added Government uncertainty, that really does tip it over.”
That sense of frustration was seen in some of the anger from farmers over the last few years.
“Their day to day business is uncertain enough without having these things on top of it.”
His initial reaction to the Government’s freshwater reform was that it took note of the submissions from farmers and changed it accordingly.
Despite the changes the proposed new rules still create uncertainty for the farming sector.
The new 95% bottom-line rule for nitrate toxicity will be difficult to achieve and could have a major financial impact on farmers, he says.
There will be more analysis on what that means financially on-farm as it is studied closer.
He says it will be difficult for the policy to achieve its environmental outcomes without a massive financial cost.
The right balance is needed between what the science says and what is practical on farms to achieve a good result.
“Everyone wants that better result but it’s about how you get there.”
Bennett says he will work with farmers and the industry in setting any regulations so they are involved in creating an achievable outcome.
“We’ll base it on solid science and look at partnering with different organisations around what they think is obtainable.”
National will release its agriculture policies closer to the election.
