Farmers and community need to support each other

Andrew Hardie, representative of the Fonterra Share Holders Council speaks of the changes and future in the dairy industry back in 2019 at a meeting of farmers recognising top performers in the indust

By Dave Murdoch

Andrew Hardie, Fonterra Shareholders Council representative and a local dairy farmer east of Dannevirke, believes Covid alert level 4 is a time when the whole community needs to come together to support each other.

In his role supporting dairy farmers as a Fonterra Shareholder councillor and channelling their opinions to the Fonterra Co-operative Council, he is central to understanding where both farmers and the board are at.

He said dairy farmers and the dairy industry are doing pretty well at present, with farm milk being collected and a steady income coming in, while overseas dairy returns are buoyant and a restructured company is making the best decisions.

Alert level 4 has its economic costs, with some services costing a little more and supplies being more limited but he is more concerned for the farm-related businesses in the towns which have to be shut down or restricted to essential services.

He says farmers rely closely on these businesses, which are hurting - even those classified as essential services - because they have no foot traffic. He says Tararua is very well served by these businesses and when Covid levels lift, a priority is for farmers and the community to spend in town – not just in farm-related businesses but cafes and hairdressers.

Hardie says farmers are time-poor at present with calving and lambing in full swing and are working very long hours, which can have a mental impact.

"Farming by nature is a lonely occupation," he says. "Contact with farm suppliers is an important factor in keeping them in touch with the rest of the world."

He said in the partial absence of this contact during alert level 4, they should give their neighbours and friends a call to touch base.

"We can't give each other a hug in these Covid times but a chat can be just as good," he said.

As to the future, he says farmers must just carry on: "While the Government is doing its best to throw a lasso around the Delta variant to rein it in, we just hope that they succeed. We all need to do our bit to help."