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.

get ready alan i'm sending the inspection team around

How bad is it?

The Minister of Agriculture david carter rang alan crafar to let him know that MAF were going to investigate him and his so called farms. That's right the minister rang the person his ministry was about to investigate to let him know that he was going to be investigated. How can this be? Is it really the role of the minister to ring dirty farmers, farmers that may have broken the law, to give them a friendly heads up. To me it shows how deep the tentacles of the dairy industry reach.

And what about this.

Dehorning is very painful for the calves let alone of 2 year old animals - that is why legally you must have a vet present.

"Maf investigations manager Greg Reid told the Waikato Times yesterday that the ministry had investigated a complaint of farm workers on the Collins Rd farm de-horning 150 two-year-old in-calf heifers without anaesthetic.

The investigation found medication had been prescribed by a vet who was not present.

Farmers found guilty of de-horning cattle over nine months old can face a fine and prison.

Mr Reid, who would not name the vet, said no offence had been committed because the farm workers had consulted a vet, as per animal welfare rules.

However, Maf would be asking the New Zealand Veterinary Association whether it was comfortable with the situation.

"Is it strictly in accordance with the code? Probably not," Mr Reid said.

"We would prefer the vet to be present," Mr Reid said. "

MAF are a useless bunch of wankers. What the hell is your job MAF? Looking after the lifestock or looking after your dirty farming mates? Resign carter you are a useless minister.

we plant cows while in europe they dump milk

So while we set up more and more dairy farms - over in europe the dairy farmers are dumping milk because of the low price they get for it. Does anyone else see the irony here?

"Belgian farmers sprayed 3 million litres of fresh milk onto their fields yesterday, furious over the low milk prices they say are bankrupting farmers.

Milk farmers' groups said world prices had sunk so much they are having to sell milk at half their production costs, leaving more and more farmers unable to pay their bills."

"To highlight their desperation, about 300 tractors dragged milk containers through plowed fields in southern Belgium, dumping a day's worth of milk production in that region.

"It is a scandal to dump this, but we have to realize what the situation is," said Belgian farm leader Erwin Schoepges. "We need a farm revolt."

The crisis has driven many EU farmers into a "milk strike," with thousands refusing to deliver milk to the industrial dairy conglomerates that produce anything from skimmed milk to processed cheese."

We do need a farm revolt because the farming we are developing here is revolting.