The Feds Say: Don't be so quick to point the finger

Some Northland rivers have been awash with silt from the green movement's poster child - trees.

July must be one of the wettest I can remember; perhaps it's the price we are paying for a favourable autumn. But fortunately the first bit of winter has been warm and the grass is growing on the drier paddocks - but it is still a long way to spring.

Farmers have been copping plenty of negative publicity of late, particularly dairy farmers. When you take into account the dairy industry is a big driver of the beef sector and that fewer than half of the sheep and beef farmers in Northland are still running the smaller animal, the criticisms take a toll on the morale and spirits of rural folk.

Just keep in mind that the green lobby groups who are most vocal in anti-farming rhetoric have an incentive to whip up opposition among the majority urban population; it's something they can be seen to be active on in the drive for members' fees and campaign fundraising.

The prices my wool is fetching has reached an all-time low of $1.50 net greasy price. It's puzzling but it appears the world does not want a natural, sustainable product such as wool carpets in their homes but instead will go for synthetic, oil-based alternatives.

The three farming types I mention above have come a long way over the years, with huge gains in productivity and environment stewardship over the land they carry responsibility for.

Farming is seen as an easy target by some of our politicians, who will know that farm owners make up only about 2.5 per cent of New Zealand's population. That's not a large voting bloc.

There is a growing number of people who suggest cow numbers need to come down and a few have gone as far as promoting the idea we would be better off with no cows at all in New Zealand.

So as farmers we need to stick together and have a united voice, particularly over water. I expect that dairy farmers have spent more on water quality than all other sectors in our country. Farmers acknowledge there is still work to do, but we're on the right path.

Certainly our urban friends shouldn't be so quick to point the finger. City and district councils together would have billions of dollars of infrastructure shortfall to deal with sewage and stormwater run-off issues to keep streams and harbours clean.

I recently met with a group of farmers in the high country of Northland and I've been interested by the number of farmers who have contacted me over their local rivers and streams. No, stock was not the issue this time.

Their concern was over forestry and how post-harvest impacts are compromising their rivers. Yes, a golden child of the green movement is being questioned - the tree!

The amount of silt entering the waterways after harvest has changed the once always-clean Mangakahia River into a flow of water colour that we have under the Dargaville bridge. This is not an uncommon event but often flies under the media's radar - unless it takes out a large part of Auckland's water supply.