Blessings to count as 2025 draws to a close

As the year winds down, it’s worth taking stock of what’s gone right for New Zealand farmers.  

Strong returns for our meat and dairy show the world wants quality protein – produced with good grass-fed practices, high animal welfare standards, and environmental care. 

With those boosted export prices, farmers have been able to re-invest in their businesses, retire debt and maybe take on an extra team member or two – all good news for the New Zealand economy. 

I do acknowledge that returns haven’t been so rosy for our arable farmers. It remains a mission of Federated Farmers and allied partners to wake more consumers – and processors – up to the quality grains and cereals grown on our shores, and to support ‘local’. 

Federated Farmers’ advocacy efforts on behalf of our food producers and rural communities have paid big dividends this year. 

After helping to secure a Parliamentary inquiry into banking, we pushed for measures that will increase competition in lending to the agricultural sector. We also notched up a win with proposals to relax overly conservative bank capital restrictions. This will cut $9000 a year off an average farm mortgage of $4.5 million. 

If farmers and other agricultural borrowers are paying less in interest, they have more money to invest in environmental protection and production, helping achieve the nation’s goal of doubling primary export revenue. 

The Government has also been responsive to our campaigns to cut RMA red tape delays and costs, to rein in the blanketing of productive farmland in carbon-only pines, and to set methane emission reduction targets based on science, not ideology. 

Little wonder that surveys show a marked upswing in farmer confidence. 

If the Government is in a mood to deliver other ‘presents’ in time for Christmas, I’d suggest they focus on fixing the consent crisis affecting farmers up and down the country. We’ve just launched a petition calling on the Government to all existing resource consents to roll over until our resource management laws are overhauled.  

Another ‘gift’ to farmers – and the country – would be committing more funding to fight the wilding pine scourge. 

Bringing in the changes we’ve been seeking – and were promised – to make KiwiSaver fairer for those New Zealanders in service tenancies would be very welcome too. 

On behalf of Federated Farmers, I want to wish all New Zealanders a merry and safe Christmas. 

A special shout-out to those South Island farming and other families hit hard in the October storms. Best wishes for your recovery efforts – reach out to us and Rural Support if you’re feeling overwhelmed. You’ll find fellow Kiwis ready to help.