Friday, March 29, 2024

No surprise in water proposals

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The deer industry has for several years been encouraging its farmers to not only do farm environment plans but to keep them up to date.
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In light of the Government’s latest freshwater proposals the industry is now alerting farmers to prepare for change.

Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) is evaluating the Government’s freshwater policy proposals in preparation for making a considered response. 

Chief executive Dan Coup says the proposals have not come as a surprise.

DINZ and the Deer Farmers Association have for several years been encouraging farmers to do a farm environment plans and regularly review how they are tracking. 

“These plans are almost certain to become compulsory in all regions so, if you haven’t done one, it’s a good time to get your head around what’s involved. 

“That said, it’s important to bear in mind that the FEPs that the Government wants in place on all farms by 2025 are likely to include new requirements that we don’t yet know about,” Coup said. 

“As with all plans, environmental plans will change over time in response to new knowledge, farmer experience, regulations and council rules.” 

DINZ Passion 2 Profit (P2P) manager Innes Moffat said the industry is well prepared to help farmers with FEPs to meet required and pending environmental regulations.  

It includes DINZ working with regional councils on a one-to-one approach to get specific understanding of individual regional regulations.

That arms DINZ with the information needed to work with and fully inform farmers.

The industry is six months into its new Deer Industry Environment Groups (DIEGs) programme led by DINZ environment manager Lindsay Fung.

The DIEGs work as an extension of the industry’s already established Advanced Parties set up to be a catalyst for change by demonstrating new or different deer farming methods or technologies to inspire change for increased profit.

Moffat said DIEGs are groups of five to eight farmers who get together in a catchment area.

The groups appoint an environment consultant to facilitate and support farmers doing FEPs.

“There’s no specific template,. More importantly, it is about putting some changes in place using collective wisdom of the group with the specific skills of an environmental consultant.

“Knowing what needs to be done to meet regional council requirements in a farmer-friendly directed way is getting a good response from farmer groups,” Moffat said.

So far 13 farmer environment groups have been established, taking in 80 farmers mainly in Canterbury, Southland, Hawke’s Bay and Waikato.

It’s planned to put together about another six groups.

“We respond to where groups of deer farmers are coming together and it looks like Otago is the next focus.”

It’s an intensive process initially with regular meetings over the first three to four months but once farmers complete their plans the meetings are more ad-hoc as farmers check in with one another.

Moffat said the industry is not seeking to duplicate what other organisations might be doing.

“We are seeking to extend a model we have developed through the Advance Parties and this is not necessarily just for deer farmers. It could also be followed by other livestock farmers and catchment groups.”

Moffat said it’s important solutions are farmer-led for better environmental management rather than being blanket regulation imposed on farmers.

The deer industry’s Environmental Management Code of Practice is another useful tool for farmers preparing plans.

The code includes extensive input from deer farmers and experienced consultants providing in-paddock scale practices for deer farmers to do plans required by local authorities.

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