AGRIBUSINESS
MANAGEMENT
NEWS
Woolly thinking pays off.
Project aims to get snapshot of farm performances. PAGE 32
Ag sector well prepared for Covid surge – expert PAGE 10
PAGE 30
TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS FEBRUARY 15, 2022: ISSUE 744
www.ruralnews.co.nz
You dirty ‘RAT’s!
LITTLE TO AGREE ON DAVID ANDERSON
PETER BURKE peterb@ruralnews.co.nz
THE GOVERNMENT’S so called ‘consolidation’ of Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) from meat companies has the potential to force the closure of some meat processing plants if staff contract the Omicron version of Covid. Many meat processing companies took the precaution of purchasing their own RATs as a means of protecting their staff and keeping their works going in a Covid outbreak. However, because, on the Government’s behalf, the Ministry of Health failed to get sufficient supplies in on time, it effectively pilfered what it could from the private sector. Meat Industry Associations (MIA) policy manager Paul Goldstone told Rural News that meat companies had purchased the now Government-appropriated RATs as a means of screening workers and preventing the virus getting into plants. He says an Omicron outbreak would be disastrous for the sector and could lead to whole plants being closed down. Goldstone says the RAT issue is also linked to the rules around home isolation. He points out some workers live in households where there are large numbers of people of varying age groups, who all work in the meat sector. Goldstone says the current government rules on isolation pose a serious risk to the meat industry.
The meat industry says the Government’s seizure of Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) from meat companies could force the closure of some processing plants if staff contract the Omicron.
“We have been pushing hard for some realism with the current criteria,” he told Rural News. “A single positive case of Covid in a worker or a household member could result in that entire house-
hold being isolated for 10 days.” Goldstone says this could see large parts of a plant being put into isolation and likely shut down. “We were going to be using RATs to act as a form of screen-
ing to prevent infected workers getting on site,” he explains. “The meat companies purchased RATs to minimise this risk, but without them, plants are now at risk and so are valuable meat exports.”
GROUNDSWELL NZ farm emissions spokesman Steve Cranston told Rural News the group had “very little” to agree with in the current He Waka Eka Noa (HWEN) proposals. “I would say the original intent of HWEN was good, a collective approach to create pricing at the margins, as well as promoting uptake of new technologies and management,” the Waikato based agriculture and environment consultant says. “Unfortunately, it has been designed with major reductions of emissions in mind rather than trying to better understand our climate footprint and then set appropriate reductions from there.” Cranston says Groundswell is still working on its counter proposal. However, he hinted it will likely be based on data collection, best practice management and improved research into carbon sequestration rates. “Some form of pricing or credits trading are likely required to ensure fairness and that we remain on course – around 2025/26,” he added. “Farmers should have genuine input on how this works – so we won’t be defining that now.” Cranston is hopeful Groundswell’s alternative will allow the NZ farming sector to certify climate neutrality by 2030. “We plan to socialise our proposal with other political parties so, farmers have a credible alternative with the election in two years.” He says Groundswell believes that any emissions scheme should be designed to promote NZ farming’s low climate impact to consumers – not just reduce emissions. Rural News understands that Groundswell recently had a Zoom meeting with HWEN to discuss its farmer survey results and suggest changes.
FLYING 60 BUFFALO INTO THE COUNTRY GAVE NEW MEANING TO THE TERM CATTLE CLASS. Twelve years ago, Richard and Helen Dorresteyn made the decision to import 60 water buffalo into the country to start making fresh buffalo mozzarella. It was a decision that had its risks, but it’s proved to be a good one. When you do things differently, it’s great to know someone like FMG has got your back. To hear the full Clevedon Buffalo Co. story, go to fmg.co.nz/progress
We’re here for the good of the country. FMG0862RNFPS_B