Several milestones are looming, which will require some form of farm plans, and Beef + Lamb NZ (B+LNZ) is urging farmers to make a start.
By the end of this year, 25% of farmers will need to know their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; by January 1, 2022, 25% will need to have plan to manage those emissions; by the end of 2022 all farmers will need to know their GHG emissions; and by January 1, 2025, all will need to have plans on how to manage those emissions.
By 2024 farm plans are a requirement of the Essential Freshwater policy, then there is the pending National Policy Statement on biodiversity and increasingly regional councils require such a document.
B+LNZ farm planning leader Ron Pellow says these documents are simply putting on paper what most farmers have already stored in their brain, but having it written down will ensure compliance with the multiple new government regulations.
“It is often simply documenting knowledge built up over years of managing a farm,” Pellow said.
B+LNZ is holding free workshops starting next month to assist farmers collate their plans, but Pellow says there are basic principles to follow.
He says the 4000 farmers who already have land environment plans (LEP) are well on the way to meeting the requirements of new FEPs.
Modules, or what to include in FEPs, had to be relevant to individual farms, areas and farmers.
That could include managing soil, freshwater, biodiversity, climate change, waste and chemicals and forage crops, and each requires an action plan to address management and risks.
Pellow says that could include photographs to show proof of action, maps on how to manage the feeding of forage crops, or details on how to monitor the health of a creek or stream.
For the management of winter crops, he says the plan could include a diagram to illustrate risks such as sediment and phosphate loss and risk factors from slope, erosion, overland sediment flow and how the crop will be managed to alleviate those risks.
“You then need to document action to reduce those risks, their locations, timeframes and who is responsible,” he said.
Pellow says farmers can complete the plans without using outside consultants.
“If we create something that requires lots of third party input, then we have failed – it needs to be farmer-centric.” he said.
In response to questions, Pellow says the aim is to make it simple and not require the inputting of data more than once.
B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor says the organisation has worked to ensure the FEPs align with other documents such as the NZ Farm Assurance Programme run by meat processors.
Concerns were raised that personal information held about farmers could be accessed by activists, to which McIvor gave an assurance it will be securely held and not shared without seeking approval of the farmers concerned.
