Speaking to more than 200 farmers at the Beef + Lamb New Zealand annual FarmSmart forum in Christchurch, northern South Island council chairman James Hoban said Canterbury farmers are lagging.
The RMPP programme can be a game-changer but only if enough farmers participate.
“We need more of you. We need to form more action groups and we especially need more of you in Canterbury.
“These groups are about farmers taking the ideas and making them work behind the farm gate. If you don’t you won’t get the benefit.”
B+LNZ is a partner in the RMPP, a collaborative programme bringing red meat sector partners together to help the industry get more productive and profitable.
The RMPP Action Network is an initiative to help farmers develop confidence to turn ideas into action on farms.
The network, the result of research among farmers, is made up of farmer Action Groups of seven to nine farm businesses.
There’s no intention for the groups to replace discussion groups and field days but to introduce a get-stuff-done, farmer-led, individual and group plan that provides peer support and encouragement.
“I really encourage all of you to consider being part of an action group,” Hoban said.
The groups are farmer-led and supported by trained facilitators to help identify experts who can share new knowledge and ideas needed to achieve goals.
Each group is eligible for kick-start funding of $4000 a farm, which is pooled for the group to pay for a facilitator and expert advice.
This funding is available until June 2020 when the seven-year RMPP winds up.
There are about 120 groups registered or active around with Southland, Manawatu-Wanganui and Hawke’s Bay leading the way.
The goal is to get 350 groups to drive sustainable productivity improvements in the sheep and beef sector to deliver higher on farm profits.
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