NZ Dairy Sector: ‘Dirty Dairy’ Tag sticks As Effluent Compliance slides
March 29th, 2010
Fonterra’s announcement of new annual checks on its suppliers’ effluent management is a swift response to a disappointing increase in non-compliant farms. Agriculture Minister David Carter says NZ’s clean, green reputation is at stake unless the nation can “back up its claims of sustainable dairying with tangible action and evidence.” Fonterra will stump up around $1m to double the number of sustainable dairy specialists it has on hand to assist farmers.
The Dairying and Clean Streams Accord ‘snapshot of progress’ for 2008/09 shows the level of significant non-compliance increased to 15% from 12% a year earlier. Part of this reflects increased monitoring but no industry group is making excuses. Fonterra’s Shareholders’ Council chairman Blue Read called the outcome “unacceptable.”
Fonterra executive Gary Romano said the co-op is “determined to get on top of this effluent issue.” Its goal is to halve significant non-compliance within 18 months, “then trending to zero.” Worst offending regions were the heavy milk producers – Northland, where compliance was just 39%, followed by Waikato on 41% and Canterbury on 43%. Taranaki, which operates its own regime, stood out at 96% compliance. The effluent checks will be piloted in the Waikato, effective immediately, with a national rollout from the start of 2010/2011.
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