Farming in the new era

Clive Bibby

Opinion

I can’t remember a time when farming in New Zealand provided so many opportunities but at the same time was threatened by so many events and interferences beyond our control.

It is clear that, in order to survive as profitable entities in the modern world, we are going to have to be more innovative than ever before and change the way we do things.

The threats to international market access are not just price related; they now include terrorist organisations that have no respect for anything other than brute force.

It has become a nightmare of not knowing whether we will still be in business next month, let alone next year. But l am not yet ready to try something else, even though at my age it is probably well past time that l should.

As we have done in the past, l believe the farmers and supportive industries of New Zealand are still capable of finding a way to make the new environment work in our favour.

Because this nation depends so much on the agriculture industry and its “offshoots”, we must commit to designing new ways of making a living from what we have — which, in turn, must be enough to satisfy the needs of all our people.

It will not be easy because it will mean for some that they may have to use the land they own in a significantly different way, or introduce a different mix of livestock and crops more attractive to the demands of a changing world.

In some ways, we already know what we need to do immediately.

The weather events of last year have shown how vulnerable many parts of the country are to climate change. For starters, we have no option but to reset our farming practices so that they are more in harmony with the natural environment. This type of change will be particularly important in areas where we can no longer keep doing the same things and expect a different result.

However, the opportunities l mentioned before are real and are there for the taking, as long as the whole community is on board with the changes that need to be made.

We simply can’t afford to expect a prosperous future to be handed to us on a plate without adequate consultation with groups that may be significantly affected by the changes. And major changes to infrastructure, although expensive, are a “must have”.

New freshwater storage reservoirs feeding an irrigated network with reliable water will be key to the development that needs to happen in many places.

Climate scientists predict more frequent and worse drought conditions on the east coasts of both islands. We can’t say we haven’t been warned.

Finally, there may need to be a change in attitude from Government as to how they can best support farmers dealing with a crossbred wool clip that is costing money, rather than being a sizeable chunk of the “on farm” annual earnings.

While it may seem sacrilege to suggest a temporary system of compulsory crossbred wool acquisition, we can’t continue to treat this traditionally important commodity as if it doesn’t exist.

The country as a whole could benefit from this type of acquisition. We currently spend millions on imported synthetic home insulation products and carpets. Given that wool is a biodegradable product and has a slow-burning safety quality to add to its worldwide reputation for warmth, surely we could make a case for compulsory crossbred wool acquisition that could tide us over until we have restructured the way we farm.

There is much work to do.