Rise in dirty dairy farms unacceptable, says Fonterra

Photo / Wairarapa Times Age

An increase in the number of farmers failing significantly to meet effluent rules is unacceptable, says dairy giant Fonterra.

The update for the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord showed significant non-compliance increased by 1 per cent to 16 per cent for the 2009/10 season.

See the latest update here.

Overall the result for dairy effluent being appropriately treated and discharged increased 5 per cent to 65 per cent, reclaiming the lost ground from the 64 per cent result in 2007/08.

Fonterra Group Director Supplier and External Relations, Kelvin Wickham said an 'every farm every year' inspection regime was a concerted effort to address non-compliance by identifying farms at risk and ensuring remedial plans were put in place.

"The programme got underway nationally in August so it was never going to change last season's results," Wickham said.

"But what is encouraging is that the compliance message is getting through and farmers are taking it seriously."

By the end of this season Fonterra expected to have 1,000 remedial plans in place.

"Since August, 252 farms have already completed their plans and a further 582 are underway," he said.

"There are no quick fixes but farmers are working hard to get it right and in many cases a significant investment is needed to ensure systems are compliant 365 days a year."

Good progress was being made on other targets, Wickham said.

"Across the country there is a lot of good work going on unnoticed and while we know there's more work to be done, it's also appropriate to acknowledge the real efforts being made."

Green Party spokesperson for Agriculture and Conservation, Kevin Hague said levels of significant non-compliance by the dairy industry had increased over the last three years, showing that voluntary measures were utterly insufficient to protect waterways.

New Zealand urgently needed clear rules for clean water, he said.

While some farmers were doing a great job, the progress report highlighted the problem with a voluntary code, said Hague. "The non-compliance of a few undermines the success of the code for everyone."

"MAF Deputy Director-General Paul Stocks has said that good early progress was made with the Accord, but all the easy wins have been achieved. So, now is the time for the Government to regulate the impact of dairy pollution with enforceable water quality standards," said Hague.

"With compliance decreasing, the dairy industry has proven it cannot successfully regulate itself. We need the Government to adopt clean water rules now," said Hague.

Agriculture Minister David Carter said dairy farmers were "slowly taking heed of his challenge to lift their game when it comes to pollution."

Carter says that while progress could be faster, the message was gradually getting through to those farmers who had struggled with effluent compliance, and were now looking to their industry bodies and regional councils for support

"For example, in Canterbury, the 'Check it, fix it, get it right' initiative has been working to provide information and advice to farmers on adopting good effluent management practices," said Carter.

Significant non-compliance in Canterbury fell to 8 per cent from 19 per cent in the previous season, he said. This initiative was now being rolled out throughout the North Island, and Southland.

The Fonterra Shareholders' Council chairman Simon Couper said farmers understood that achieving an acceptable level of compliance needed continuous improvement.

"It is understood that the focus on sustainability will impact on our right to farm and trade, and this will continue to be of greater importance over time," Couper said.

MAF Deputy Director-General Paul Stocks said farm effluent management was a critical part of a successful farming business.

The update reflected the fact that a consistent effort by the partners to the accord was needed to improve farmer behaviour and farm system performance, Stocks said.

"After the good early progress of the Accord, all the easy wins have been achieved," he said.

"The sector is at now at the stage of incrementally improving farming practices and upgrading equipment."


Dairy cattle excluded from streams, rivers and lakes:

Target: 90pc by 2012 (50pc by 2007)
Result: 85pc, up 5pc.



Regular crossing points have bridges or culverts:

Target: 90pc by 2012 (50pc by 2007)
Result: 99pc, up 1pc



Systems to manage nutrient inputs and outputs:

Target: All farms by 2007
Result: 99pc, no change



Effluent discharge to comply with resource consents and regional plans:

Target: All farms immediately
Result: 65 per cent, up 5pc