dirty dirty dirty dairy dirty dirty dirty

Dirty diary farms and farmers is a very big concern and with the latest annual report from the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord just released, shows that the problem is getting worse not better. Pull your socks up dairy farmers or leave the land and farm to someone who cares about the ecosystem and sustainability.

How dirty? From Stuff

"The update shows the average level of significant non-compliance worsened to 15 per cent in 2008/09 from 12 per cent in the previous year.

Farmers in Northland had the worst results, with full compliance listed at 39 per cent in the latest year, down from 43 per cent in 2008. Compliance in Waikato fell to 41 per cent from 48 per cent and Canterbury declined to 43 per cent from 46 per cent .

Those number should make your nose bleed - 4 to 5 out of 10 farmers are not fully complying. That means they are putting the shit into the rivers - they are destroying our rivers and waterways to make more money.

But some are leading the way.

"Taranaki was the shining star, holding steady on 96 per cent compliance."

It must be bad when even carter comes out swinging.

"Agriculture Minister David Carter said, "Until every farmer takes responsibility for improving effluent management, the environment and dairy’s reputation will suffer."

The snapshot “tells a totally unacceptable story of effluent management".

"Regardless of whether this is because farmers don’t have the right tools, don’t know how to comply, or simply don’t care, behaviour has to change.”

I hope it can change but it may be too late - dairy's reputation is effuent like already.