Federated Farmers' national dairy lobby is expected to strongly debate the controversial Fonterra Dairying and Clean Streams Accord at its two-day conference in Wellington, starting today.
It was at last year's conference of the lobby, Dairy Farmers of New Zealand, that Fonterra told farmers that they would in future years
have to clean up their environmental performance.
Farmers were also told that their right to have Fonterra buy their milk could become partly dependent on their environmental performance.
The Clean Streams Accord gives farmers up to nine years to meet minimum environmental standards on issues such as animal effluent and fertiliser run-off into waterways.
Many farmers have complained that Fonterra is meddling in areas regulated by councils.
Dairy Farmers chairman Kevin Wooding of Te Awamutu said Fonterra planned to implement some type of environmental measurement.
The introduction of a dairy industry environmental policy had been a "political compromise" by the industry's leaders, he said.
Fonterra has faced increasing questions from affluent customers, particularly in northern Europe, about animal welfare issues such as tail docking, as well as sustainability issues.
Other controversial items on the conference agenda include Fonterra's peak notes and capital structure, sharemilking opportunities, TB funding, milk regulations and the impact of reduced payouts.
- NZPA
