FORAGE AND ARABLE
Freshwater plans flow from environment plan With freshwater farm plans on the horizon, a current farm environment plan can be a solid springboard for moving to the new system. Freshwater farm plans are expected to come into effect from mid 2022 and will be gradually rolled out across New Zealand. Under the Essential Freshwater rules that came into effect in 2020, all farms with 20ha or more in arable, pastoral or mixed use or 5ha or more in horticulture will need a certified freshwater farm plan. The Government is encouraging farmers and growers to understand how the freshwater farm plan framework will affect them and to get started on practical steps to make the transition easier. Having a farm environment plan already in place is a head start for developing a freshwater farm plan. Freshwater farm plans will identify solutions to improve waterways, with local information crucial for tailoring solutions that best fit a farm’s
circumstances, physical environment and the wider catchment. The precise requirements, as well as the certification process, are expected to be finalised in early 2022, but the plans will probably need to include: • A farm map identifying features such as waterways and critical source areas for contaminants. • A risk assessment of specific activities such as irrigation, application of nutrients and effluent, winter grazing, stockholding areas, stock exclusion, offal pits and farm rubbish pits. • Actions to manage identified features and mitigate identified risks. Under the proposed regulations, an existing farm environment plan can be the basis for a freshwater farm plan and may also be the basis for the farm’s risk assessment. Until the freshwater farm plan system applies to a particular farm, farmers and growers should use farm environment plans to help plan their systems and practices to reduce environmental impacts.
A farm environment plan developed using Ballance’s world-leading geospatial tool MitAgator gives a head start on freshwater farm planning. The full MitAgator service includes: • An initial visit by a Ballance Farm Sustainability Services specialist to understand your farm. • Risk maps with critical source areas highlighted for nitrogen, phosphorous, sediment and E. coli, to improve understanding of where on-farm losses occur and enable more strategic use of mitigations. • Scenario analyses, with on-farm mitigation options prioritised based on cost-effectiveness. • A full farm environment plan, using information from the risk maps and scenario analyses, as well as the action plan for the farm. For more information, go to ballance.co.nz/mitAgator or contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Ballance Agri-Nutrients
| A farm environment plan gives a head start in developing a freshwater farm plan.
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