Editorial

Sector jobs need more appeal

NEWS of a review of New Zealand’s immigration policy has some in the primary sector a little nervous.

The sector relies heavily on migrant labour, especially when it comes to picking fruit and milking cows.

Industry leaders understand that the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme will be safe, but this government has shown a strong preference for all employers to look for home-grown talent to fill any roles they may have.

There’s a lot to think about when weighing any change to immigration settings.

The primary industries have made pretty good returns in recent years and one could argue that it’s time to lessen the dependence on migrant labour.

But with unemployment down below 5%, it’s difficult to see where the workers would come from to fill the gaps.

And, the RSE scheme plays a vital role in the economic wellbeing of many Pacific families.

There have been some fantastic initiatives in the past year that have brought new blood into the primary industries. This week’s newsmaker (P18) Amy Luckhurst is one of many people who, when faced with an uncertain future, found job security and a community in the dairy sector.

We need more of these stories.

But the food production industry is growing quickly. There have been big calls made in recent years about how we’ll find the tens of thousands of workers needed to make the wheels turn.

Yet despite the talk, employers are still struggling to fill roles.

One simple thing we can do is this: we can make sure the jobs offered are attractive – financially and socially.

Whoever does the work, it’s important they’re paid a dignified wage and have conditions that the employer and industry are happy to promote as part of their brand story.

Other industries have stumbled over after having untoward employment practices uncovered.

That’s something food producers can and should avoid.

Bryan Gibson

LETTERS

NZ is already ahead of the curve

IT IS refreshing to see a leading scientist at last centering on the conventional solutions available today and not lobbying the Government for changing the genetic engineering (GE) regulatory oversight.

The GE technologies of transgenics have failed New Zealand and the world.

The extreme use of herbicides and insecticides used throughout the GE plants growing season have created resistant weeds and insects that are destroying US farmers’ incomes and infesting fields.

New GE plants are being engineered to withstand up to six herbicides and four insecticides, leaving toxic residues in the foods.

For many years the scientists at Massey have been running research on different feed pastures and found that mixed forages of legumes and grasses have reduced methane emissions.

Seed companies like Germinal have bred pasture seeds of high-quality persistence and digestibility. It is pleasing to read the advances NZ has made in conventional breeding of sheep with lower methane traits.

NZ is ahead of the curve in its willingness to look at conventional options and embracing the regenerative organic vision.

The NZ regenerative organic science model is being implemented in the US and has had amazing results for protecting and building the soil, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

To paraphrase Dr. Hickford, let’s concentrate on the conventional expertise we have and signaling to our trading partners the quality farmers we have using non-GE solutions.

Claire Bleakley

Wairarapa

Focus on what NZ does best

NICKY White is quite right (Farmers Weekly, April 26), it makes absolutely no sense for New Zealand, the world’s most greenhouse gas (GHG) efficient farmers, to decrease stock numbers or agricultural production.

The MPI’s forestry carbon credits and carbon trading auction scheme is an absolute cockup that will leave many foresters who have claimed and sold credits bankrupt come harvest time.

The Government should cease the flawed carbon trading scheme altogether. Lease 5% of the unused rabbit-infested Government wasteland of the lower South Island that is growing nothing but thyme for perpetual pine tree production.

This would neatly and cost effectively solve all NZ problems, provide a future source of timber log export production, cheap biofuels for industry to move away from coal, and material for another plywood, chipwood or custom wood plant.

Keep it really simple, Sam – a win-win for all, and let’s all get back to doing what we do well.

Dave Stanton

Geraldine

Farmers Weekly is published by GlobalHQ, PO Box 529, Feilding 4740. New Zealand Phone: 0800 85 25 80 Website: www.farmersweekly.co.nz EDITOR Bryan Gibson 06 323 1519

bryan.gibson@globalhq.co.nz EDITORIAL Carmelita Mentor-Fredericks 06 323 0769 editorial@globalhq.co.nz Neal Wallace 03 474 9240 neal.wallace@globalhq.co.nz Colin Williscroft 027 298 6127 colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz Annette Scott 021 908 400 annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz Hugh Stringleman 09 432 8594 hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz Gerald Piddock 027 486 8346 gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz Richard Rennie 07 552 6176 richard.rennie@globalhq.co.nz Nigel Stirling 021 136 5570 nigel.g.stirling@gmail.com PUBLISHER Dean Williamson 027 323 9407 dean.williamson@globalhq.co.nz ADVERTISING Andy Whitson 027 626 2269 New Media & Business Development Lead andy.whitson@globalhq.co.nz Steve McLaren 027 205 1456 Auckland/Northland advertising steve.mclaren@globalhq.co.nz Jody Anderson 027 474 6094 Waikato/Bay of Plenty advertising jody.anderson@globalhq.co.nz Donna Hirst 027 474 6095 Lower North Island/international advertising donna.hirst@globalhq.co.nz Ernest Nieuwoudt 027 474 6091 South Island advertising ernest.nieuwoudt@globalhq.co.nz Clint Dunstan 027 474 6004 Real Estate & Farm Machinery advertising clint.dunstan@globalhq.co.nz ISSN 2463-6002 (Print) ISSN 2463-6010 (Online) Ella Holland 06 323 0761 Livestock advertising 027 602 4925 livestock@globalhq.co.nz Debbie Brown 06 323 0765 Classifi eds/Employment advertising classifi eds@globalhq.co.nz Grant Marshall 027 887 5568 AgriHQ Partnership Manager grant.marshall@globalhq.co.nz Andrea Mansfi eld 027 446 6002 Salesforce director andrea.mansfi eld@globalhq.co.nz Steph Holloway 06 323 0142 AgriHQ Commercial Leader steph.holloway@globalhq.co.nz PRODUCTION Lana Kieselbach 027 739 4295 production@globalhq.co.nz Advertising material adcopy@globalhq.co.nz SUBSCRIPTIONS 0800 85 25 80 subs@globalhq.co.nz Printed by Ovato NZ Ltd Delivered by Reach Media Ltd