30,287 copies distributed monthly – to every rural mailbox in Canterbury and the West Coast
March 2019 Edition
INSIDE Field days take centre stage THIS EDITION Deer numbers up
p7 Biosecurity risks
p13 SIAFD 2019
p21 Water tax
p65
Organisers of this year’s South Island agricultural Field Days are promising the event will be bigger and more diverse than ever. Over 30,000 visitors are expected to attend the three day event in Kirwee, running from 27 to 29 March, making it the largest field day of its kind in the South Island. Exhibitors have been clamouring to stake their spot at the event to show off the latest in agricultural products and machinery and visitors can expect to see a wide variety of demonstrations and state of the art machinery. For more on the South Island agricultural Field Days see our feature, page 21.
Farmer confidence drops on back of uncertainty A recent survey shows farmers remain gloomy about the general economic outlook along with a growing concern about recruiting able staff.
❚ by Kent caddick The findings were part of the results of a January Mid-Season Farm Confidence Survey carried out by Federated Farmers. Federated Farmers Vice-President and economics spokesperson Andrew Hoggard said the survey found the lowest level of confidence in the economy since July 2009, when the country was just emerging from the Global Financial crisis.
“As with the wider business community, I think we’re seeing concern about the impact of global uncertainty and instability on our key export markets, with the likes of Brexit and US-China trade relations.” He said just 5.1% of the farmer respondents expected general economic conditions would improve over the next 12 months, while 45.9% expected they would worsen. The level of pessimism is a fivefold increase on the July 2017 survey.
“Continuing difficulty recruiting staff is another finding which stood out, with a net 40.1% of respondents finding it harder over the past six months to recruit skilled and motivated staff as opposed to easier, up 4.2 points on the July 2018 survey. “While that might reflect seasonal factors, it’s also driven by the generally tight labour market and immigration restrictions,” Hoggard said.
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