Fieldays speakers believe farm life settling down

Bruce Wills.

Some of the nervousness which traditionally pervades the rural sector amid a change of government, particularly one of the hue of the past nine months, is dissipating as New Zealand settles into an era which could be among the more settled down on the farm.

That's the view of two of Hawke's Bay's foremost sector leaders — Te Pohue farmer and former Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay and national president Bruce Wills, and Waipukurau farmer, New Zealand special agricultural trade envoy and former Beef + Lamb NZ chairman Mike Petersen.

Both were this week at the 50th National Agricultural Fieldays, where Petersen was on Wednesday named Ravensdown Agricultural Communicator of the Year. Wills had also been a recipient of the award, in 2014.

Each speaking from Mystery Creek, where Fieldays ends today, said the stars, rock or otherwise, are lining up in the right order across the primary sector, including dairy, sheep and beef meat, deer, horticulture and forestry and bees.

"The one exception is wool," said Wills, adding it's the "first time" he's seen so many sectors of the primary sector "coming together".

Petersen said farmers are getting good returns from sheep and beef cattle, and forestry remained strong.

"Wool is still a real challenge, it really is," said Petersen, adding he hopes answers will come of the Government's plans to look at the wool industry, on which so much of Hawke's Bay's economy had historically been based.

Although wool industry task forces have been around before, with no great result, he senses the passion in the industry and its potential to see a return to better days.

"I think there's a lot of change happening, as we speak," he said. "There is a fair bit of momentum. It's been a long time coming."

Both said greater inclusiveness and transparency are evident with the new Government, Wills linking that to just one period of a few hours at Fieldays.

"Just this morning I've seen the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture, and Sir John Key, Nathan Guy, and Steven Joyce," he said, highlighting the cross-party pull of the southern hemisphere's biggest agricultural exposition, even if former Prime Minister Key and former Minister of Finance Joyce are no longer in Parliament.

"These guys want to be seen within the agriculture sector," said Wills, who was enjoying a day or so away from Trelinnoe Station, where he's upped the beef production to 1200 head of cattle, with the calving of 375 cows in the spring, along with 1500 ewes.

"This shows recognition that politicians understand the significance of the primary sector," he said. "I think we're doing well."

Wills said the biggest threats are the exchange rate and the "Trump factor" affecting world markets, the latter something "we just have to go with".

Petersen, who runs bulls and cattle and lambs finishing near Waipukurau, said he agrees there's a good "level of engagement" between Government and the primary sector.

For Wills, there are also signs in his family's non-deadlined plans to sell the station and the internationally recognised gardens developed by his late parents.

Despite the blocks now put in the path of overseas investors, there is enough interest within New Zealand to offer hope, whether for the whole enterprise or the separate states of the station and the gardens.