Now, because of the Government’s stop to livestock exports, he is rethinking the future of his business.
“I saw this (live export) as a tool in lowering my number of bobby calves, now I will have to make significant changes to where I can take the business when I planned to avoid bobby calves,” Totty said.
Being a Jersey herd, while Totty has a good market for his bulls, there isn’t a meat market to turn to.
He says forcing farmers to bobby calves is going from one practice the naysayers don’t like to another.
He is disappointed with the lack of consultation with farmers, which he sees as a common theme of the current government.
“As farmers we all want the best animal welfare, and we want to do the best for the environment, but we want to be part of the process,” he said.
Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Matt Pepper has just sold export heifers for $1900 each at only nine months old.
“I have been to China and seen where these animals go, which is to modern well-run farms that are far better than many I have seen in Europe,” Pepper said.
“Now I will have to go back to culling them as a bobby at four days old – where is the logic?
“What was the cruel part in the exporting of livestock, other than the ill-informed perception from a small, emotive and noisy sector of our community.
“This seems to be a buckling of the knees decision when the Government has been asking for the primary sector to produce and sell high value products for the benefit of all NZ.
“This decision has just destroyed a $100 million niche industry bringing money directly into NZ.”
