“If the Government wanted to try and lower prices at the checkout, it should reduce the regulatory burden that is rising production costs on farm,” says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson and Ruawai Dairy Farmer Mark Cameron.
“Rabobank has warned that rising costs on-farm will flow into higher costs for consumers, while slimmer margins for farmers will also mean less spending within rural communities. They have also described farmer confidence as being the lowest on record since the pandemic began.
“Granted, some cost increases are driven by global issues, but the Government’s regulatory onslaught has a compounding effect that is totally unnecessary and makes life tougher for farmers. Not to mention the rampant inflation brought about by Labour’s economic mismanagement.
“Freshwater reforms, winter grazing rules, Zero Carbon Act, limiting migrant workers, other ideological climate policies, Significant Natural Areas, taxes on utes… The list goes on. Farmers have taken a hammering from this government.
“Increased costs for contractors, tradespeople, machinery and parts for operating farm infrastructure and vehicles due to a tight labour market are also increasing costs significantly.
“As a dairy farmer myself, I know that farmers are best environmentalists around. We kept the economy going through COVID. It’s time the Government gave us a break.
“ACT has called on the Environment Minister David Parker to extend the November 1st deadline for farm environment plans as there are not enough resources available to farmers to get them done and the tight timeframes simply don’t make sense.
“We would tackle the labour shortage by dumping the labour market test, industry specific wage requirements, and transfer restrictions. Foreign workers should be able to work for accredited employers so long as they are employed consistent with New Zealand law.
“We’re also committed to cutting the red tape that increases costs on farmers whether its the RMA, workplace relations changes like the scrapping of 90-day trials, or one-size-fits-all health and safety rules that aren’t fit for purpose.
“ACT wants to see farmers given the respect they deserve. That’s why we were the only party in parliament to stand up and vote against ideological nonsense like the Zero Carbon Act.
“The Government needs to remember that the more expensive and tough it is for farmers to produce, the higher prices will be at the checkout.”
Act party is playing the old record player. Farmers do produce competitively despite regulations. The mark up is so high at the supermarket end. Apples and other fruit are bought less than a dollar and sold three times the procuremnet cost. The margins are higher for vegetables. Lack of compeition is the main issue. Duopoly power is abused and this legalised during lock downs. All new multimillionaires are all supermarket owners. Act is trying to fool us because they get funding from the rich.
I was wondering if the people making up the Act Party, especially its leader, actually knows what a farm looks like…
He may have paid animal faerm games when he was young I guess. Whole milk powder (WMP) is about US$3800/MT. We pay NZ$12.50 per kilo at the supermarket. Easy to see the big mark-up at the supermarket end. Again some of the brands like PAMS are often export rejects which may be bought below NZ$4 and sold at NZ$12.
US Aldi grocery prices
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KX8kH_p24OE
UK Aldi grocery prices
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RRUyJ5g7wuY
We are paying WAY TOO MUCH for our groceries. This is due to the greed and lack of competition. We have fewer choices too. ACT should stop virtue signalling and fooling kiwis.
We live in a vulture economy. period.
WEF agents are expected to implement the Agenda. Justin Castro printed CA$400 and Jabcinda primnted NZD$60. Creating money from thin air aka GAY (go after yanks) economics created the inflation which is going to haunt for years to come. Watch
https://rumble.com/v1hd8cz-breakfast-with-justin.html
for a simple explanation of how Globalist agents such as jabcinda fool us.