Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says that Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor’s announcement of a $500,000 fund to help farmers and growers recover from the drought is a welcome initiative as the sector deals with the ongoing impacts from both the drought and COVID-19.
“With first the severe drought and then the disruptions caused by COVID-19, farmers have been dealing with two hugely challenging situations over the past six months and this new pilot fund is welcome news for the sector,” says B+LNZ’s CEO Sam McIvor.
“The Ministry for Primary Industries have been working in a coordinated fashion with industry groups including Beef + Lamb New Zealand, DairyNZ, and Federated Farmers, and it’s appreciated.
“We’re especially glad to see Minister O’Connor and the Ministry for Primary Industries picked up on the suggestion from Mark Harris, Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Lead Extension Manager North Island, to have feed coordinators in place to ensure farmers who are in need of feed due to the drought or having to hold more stock on farm due to COVID-19 are assisted to access feed.”
Farmers looking for more information about the new drought recovery fund can find it on the Ministry for Primary Industries’ website.
Information for sheep and beef farmers on how they can identify options for managing the expected feed shortages over the coming months can be found at https://beeflambnz.com/news-views/covid-19-feed-management-check-list-farmers.
Sheep and beef farmers can also call 0800 BEEFLAMB (0800 233 352) to speak to someone who can help them determine how much feed they have and identify options for managing any issues.
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For more information, please contact B+LNZ’s Senior Communications Advisor Gwynn Compton on 027 838 6353