Talks focus on nitrogen run-off

Ben Parsons, farm manager at Ngati Whakaue - Wharenui Farm. The farm is hosting a field day tomorrow that will focus on profitability and environmental farming

The thorny question of how to keep up profits while practising environmental farming will be on the agenda tomorrow at a Beef + Lamb New Zealand field day in Rotorua.

Discussions focused on "farming under a resource consent" will be held in light of potential new regulations regarding nitrogen leaching in the Lake Rotorua catchment area.

Organisers expect around 50 farmers from around the Bay of Plenty to attend the event at the Ngati Whakaue - Wharenui Farm, Wharenui Rd, from 1pm to 4pm.

Andrew Jolly, Beef + Lamb New Zealand extension manager for the mid-northern North Island, said it was important for farmers to take heed of potential changes to nutrient runoff rules.

"It could have a negative impact on their profitability, so it's up to us to help farmers take informed business decisions around upcoming regulation on nitrogen leaching to make sure they're being proactive, not reactive."

Mr Jolly was keen to stress that Beef + Lamb New Zealand was "definitely pro the environment" and said the field day was an attempt to balance the issues of sustained profits and sustainability. He said the event tomorrow was being held as a one-off to address specific issues in the catchment area, and believed the day would be a beneficial experience for all those attending - including himself.

"It's always good to talk and engage farmers and help them with their farming operations."

To cap off the field day there will be a barbecue and refreshments; beef and lamb are expected to appear on the menu.

Wharenui Farm manager Ben Parsons said he was looking forward to hosting tomorrow's event. "It's good to share all our stories and knowledge with other farmers."

One of the speakers at the event is Lee Matheson, a partner at Rotorua-based agricultural consultancy firm Perrin Ag.

He said his firm had worked with Wharenui Farm to mitigate its own nutrient loss. He will be discussing a number of case studies from the Rotorua catchment area at tomorrow's event, as well as taking questions from farmers.

According to Mr Matheson, yet-to-be-finalised caps on nitrogen runoff from Bay of Plenty regional council will impact on many farm operations. But he did not believe this signals certain disaster for farmers' bottom lines.

"I believe a lot of farmers will have to make some changes to management systems," Mr Matheson said. "Some of the data I'm going to be talking about [suggests] some farm properties might be able to increase profitability."

The Lake Rotorua Stakeholder Advisory Group is expected to publish its suggestions for acceptable nitrogen runoff levels in July, although a final decision is not expected until sometime next year.

Mr Matheson said that some efficiency measures, such as stock control, might reduce environmental impact and boost profits.

While he conceded this would be harder for farms already operating at high profitability, Mr Matheson said he was hopeful for the future of sustainable agriculture in the region.

"It really comes down to a number of strategies that businesses can put in place to maximise their chances of being profitable with lower nitrogen losses."

"I suspect that in 20 years' time there will still be a profitable agricultural sector around the lake. It depends what farmers' individual balance sheets look like."