Listen: New Zealand should treat water as a precious resource

Wairere Station's Derek Daniell. Photo / Supplied

One of New Zealand's leading sheep breeders believes we are being cavalier when it comes to water and that a dry country needs to harvest water for irrigation.

Listen below:

Wairere's Derek Daniell spoke to The Country's Jamie Mackay on the importance of irrigation and how it can aid better control of the environment.

"Irrigation promises food security and we live in a nation which hasn't even thought about not having enough to eat for a long time."

Daniell believes New Zealand's attitude to water is lax because as an island nation, we are surrounded by it.

He also says that farmers are only 2% of the population and they're an easy target when it comes to pointing the finger over environmental issues.

Also in today's interview: Derek looks into the Government's plan to plant a billion trees and the renewed interest in sheep this year.