AGRIBUSINESS Forest interest up on a back of growing carbon values and log prices. PAGE 22
MACHINERY & PRODUCTS Keeping the legend running. PAGE 42
RURALNEWS
NEWS Huge growth and money in horticulture.
PAGE 17
TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS
AUGUST 9, 2016: ISSUE 612
www.ruralnews.co.nz
Pea ban hits farmers PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
WAIRARAPA PEA seed growers are facing losses up to $250,000 this season as the result of the discovery of pea weevil on at least 10 farms in the region. This major biosecurity breach is already forcing growers to plan meetings with bank managers and accountants to see how they will manage their way through the next two years. Wairarapa is a major pea seed growing area, supplying seeds to growers who produce fresh and processed peas in other regions. As a result of this discovery, and in an attempt to eradicate the pea weevil, MPI has banned pea growing in Wairarapa for two years -- including home gardens. MPI has posted signs on all roads
into the region, warning that Wairarapa is now under biosecurity control. This forbids carrying peas or material such as pea straw into or out of the region. Small packets of peas have been removed from shop shelves and a big publicity effort is emphasising to growers, contractors, industry groups and the public the seriousness of the situation.
PLAN GETS SKIN AND FUR FLYING Possum skin and fur buyer Lisa Pearce sorts out pelts during a recent buying trip to Oxford, North Canterbury. Many of Pearce’s fur and skin suppliers are displeased with the Government’s ambitious plan to eradicate possums from New Zealand, insisting it is a multi-million dollar industry and these ‘pests’ are a resource. – See more page 14.
2812TTSM01 XRS2 SRS2 ADVERT 70x265MM NZ JUN16 2.indd 1
About 50 of the region’s growers last week attended a meeting in Masterton organised by the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) to look at alternative crops. Some positive comments were heard but by the end of the two-hour meeting the reality of crisis had sunk in, says Andrew Booth, a seed pea grower from near Gladstone. “It is probably what we expected,”
he told Rural News. “There is no silver lining at this point and it probably told growers what they already knew – that there aren’t a lot of options for us. “Essentially, we are stuck with growing cereals, maize or grain and a cash shortfall [looms] for growers.” Booth says the reality of the situation is now starting to hit home for a TO PAGE 4
MORE WOOL WOES? FORMER WOOLS of NZ chief executive Ross Townshend predicts more woe for the country’s wool growers. In a scathing letter to Rural News, Townshend describes the Wool Equities (WEL) governance as a “tragedy” and predicts worse to come for wool growers. “WEL burned through $25 million of wool growers’ money in 13 years, roughly $2m per year,” he explains. “However, Wools of New Zealand (WONZ) is an even bigger disaster yet to unfold.” Townshend claims that when WONZ loses its wool market development commitment [WMDC] funding in mid-2018 it will “almost certainly” fail. “By then the directors of WONZ will have burned through $6.5m equity raised from shareholders and $13.5m of WMDC cash paid by shareholders. He says this means $20m will have been “burned” in just five years – $4m per year. “Does that make the WONZ directors twice as incompetent as the WEL directors?” he asks. Townshend, who signs the letter as a Wools of NZ shareholder and former chief executive, believes the Financial Markets Authority should be called in to investigate WONZ’s performance versus its prospectus and “call the directors to account”.
16/06/16 9:56 am