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Diane Bishop / Stuff
In exchange for the commitment of the agricultural sector, the Government has postponed the introduction of regulations for intensive winter grazing practices until May 2022.
The government has deferred the imposition of almost all proposed winter grazing regulations for a year.
Intensive Winter Grazing (IWG) is an agricultural practice in which livestock are confined to open-air feeding areas planted with forage crops.
Environment Minister David Parker said that “if done wrong, the IWG has serious negative effects on animal welfare and the environment, particularly the health of freshwater and estuaries. Agricultural leaders accept that these practices need to be improved and they want to be part of the solution. “
In exchange for the commitment of the agricultural sector, the Government has deferred the introduction of the IWG practice regulations for one year until May 2022, while these improvements are made. However, the rules preventing IWG expansion will still apply.
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Winter grazing practices made headlines in 2019 after environmentalist Angus Robson posted photos on social media of cows standing in mud and runoff from pastures into rivers.
That prompted Environment Southland to hold a hui to address problems related to the practice of grazing, and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor to launch a working group on winter grazing.
Under the new rules, all winter crop planting in Southland and Otago must be completed by November 1 and the slope rule, which prohibits winter grazing on slopes greater than 10 degrees.
However, some farmers believed that some of the rules, especially those related to winter grazing and overseeding pastures with a deadline, were not practical.
There have been several protests and meetings in Southland with those who were against the new freshwater rules.
The Southland Advisory Group developed a draft IWG Farm Plan Module, which included Environment Southland, DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb, Fish and Game, and Farmers’ Federates, with input from iwi and the local New Zealand government.
“The preliminary module will give city councils and the agricultural sector a head start in meeting their commitments to us,” Parker said.
The Government will work with the agricultural sector to improve IWG practices on the ground for the benefit of freshwater quality and animal welfare.
“The one-year postponement will allow an IWG farm plan ‘module’ to be rapidly developed, tested and implemented, ready for formal incorporation into broader certified freshwater farm plans in 2022,” Parker said.
Parker and O’Connor saw the freshwater grow plan regime as the key to achieving improvements in IWG practices.
The ministers thanked Beef + Lamb, Dairy NZ and the Southland Advisory Group for working in cooperation with the Government on practical and effective solutions to manage the impacts of winter grazing on the environment and animal welfare.
O’Connor said everyone involved knows the direction of travel.
“This decision provides certainty of direction and deadline. We can get up and running and implement farm plans as quickly as possible across all farm operations.
Parker said that “immediate improvements in IWG practices are required this season, and I have expressed my expectations to both boards and industry bodies.
“Increased monitoring and reporting by boards will also ensure measurable improvements at IWG by May 2022. This will include quarterly reporting for me.”
Southland Federated Farmers President Geoffrey Young said: “We are pleased that Minister Parker has taken into account the recommendations of the advisory groups, although we need certainty around the details.
“Although the recommendations have been postponed for 12 months, I urge all farmers to adhere to best management practices this winter,” Young said.
