Andrew Hoggard: Associate Agriculture Minister on the decline in livestock numbers

New Zealand’s livestock numbers are on the decline.  

Latest figures from Stats NZ show a 21% drop in sheep numbers over the past 10 years – a total decline of 6.2 million sheep since 2014.  

The number of dairy cattle also fell 13% over the same period, coinciding with the increase in land being converted for forestry. 

Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard told Mike Hosking he believes the costs around RMA and other rules and regulations are partially responsible. 

He says one farmer he visited gave up and converted entirely to forestry as dealing with the wetland rules and requirements were too hard and costly.  

Hoggard hopes the work they’re doing around RMA will allow farmers to make smart decisions on their farms as opposed to giving up and planting trees. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The old farm conversion debates back as we get the
latest numbers around stock. So the number of sheep has
dropped twenty one percent over the past decade. We're down
to twenty three and a bit million of them. Dairy
cattle numbers are down thirteen percent, Beef cattles holding steady.
Now these figures come out the same day, of course,
as we hear another couple of Hawks Bay farms have
been flicked offshore for forestry conversion. The Associate AGD Minister
is Andrew Hoggart, of course, is whether it's Andrew morning to.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
You, Good morning Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Do you take a side on conversion? Where are you
at with it?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, obviously the government's got legislation coming forward that will
do a moratorium on these full farm forestry conversions and
then allow our cat for the sort of lower class
land of how much can be done. So look, personally,
I do think it's a concern where you have these
complete whole farm conversions. I prefer to see a mosaic.

(00:51):
You should be able to have good quality land doing
stock or crops, and yes, some of the poorer quality
land put it in forestry. That's as a farmer, that's
inensible way to do it.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
And given the numbers we're getting from export at the moment,
is the drop twofold question? Is the drop and stock
purely conversion related? And if this drop and stock, it
doesn't matter how it's dropped. Are we worried that we're
not doing enough when we can get good money for
what we make?

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Well, we're still you know, primary production across the country
is still earning, is projected to earn more and more.
You look at horticulture that's going up. So I mean
some of the drop and dairy is because of people
switching to kiwi fruit and apples. You know, that's how
New Zealand farming has succeeded over the years of having
that land use change going to where the better value is. So,

(01:40):
you know, we're still good personally. I think there's also
a cost element to this, with RIMA and all the
other rules and regulations that kind of hold farmers back.
And you know, I visited a farm where the guy
had all these wetland rules in place on him and
all this fencing requirements he had to do, and in
the end it was just listened to bloody heart, just
put it all in the forestry so there's an element

(02:02):
of the work we're doing around rm A that I
hope will provide a bit more common sense and sensibility
going forward to farmers to make smart decisions on their
farm and not just give up in plant trees.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
While I've got you, you're going to be on the
Fontira consumer sale.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Well as a Fonterra shot I do. I think, you know,
I'm waiting to see the you know, the full detail
of it, but historically we haven't made a great deal
of return from these consumer products, and you know, it's
been a good return and obviously we're attached to these brands,

(02:42):
but actually it's this consumer business or the business to
business side of it that's actually earning the real returns.
And so you know, I want to see my money
invested where it's going to generate the most return.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
Good and so I appreciate it pretty much. Andrew Hoggard,
the Associate Agriculture. For more from The Mic Asking Breakfast,
listen live to News Talk Set B from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.