Federated Farmers Gisborne-Wairoa welcomes councillors

17 October 2013

Federated Farmers Gisborne-Wairoa welcomes councillors

Federated Farmers Gisborne-Wairoa is pledging to work alongside all councillors following the recent council elections.

“Federated Farmers congratulates all elected councillors and wishes to express our appreciation for those who were either unsuccessful or retired at the elections,” says Peter Jex-Blake, Federated Farmers Gisborne-Wairoa Provincial President.

“We shall soon be writing to all councillors to offer them a chance to meet with Federated Farmers. We’d also like to extend an invitation to come on-farm and see what we do.

“In my experience, people may have a certain view of farming and we are keen to show councillors just what we do and how we do it. Personally, I think many will be blown away when they see just what farming is like in 2013 and the opportunities we have here on the East Cape.

“The 2013 Census tells us we’ve got big, big problems in Gisborne-Wairoa. We are losing people we can ill-afford to lose. While Gisborne treaded water between 2001 and 2006, the latest data for 2006 to 2013, tells us we’ve lost 1.8 percent of the usually resident population.

“In Wairoa it has been a jarring loss of seven percent or 594 people and that’s unsustainable given the size of the district.

“This is why farmers are committed to constructive dialogue to build our regional and local communities.

“Economic development is really the key to create a viable future for our children here instead of in Auckland or Christchurch.

“Federated Farmers knows pastoral farming can be much more for our region inside and outside the farmgate. What concerns me is that the growth of forestry is not creating jobs.

“Perhaps we need to look at water storage to eliminate the climatic lottery pastoral farming and horticulture currently faces.

“We have the sunshine and the soils after all. Federated Farmers also backs research into new pasture varieties and livestock to meet a more variable climate we are being told to expect.

“If farmers can grow the land, we can help to grow the towns,” Mr Jex-Blake concluded.

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