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Farmers and climate change
As a biologically-based economy, New Zealand is particularly vulnerable to a variable climate. Being prepared for climate change will ensure the viability and competitiveness of industries that depend on a stable, equable climate.
Farmers may want to modify their farming practices to reduce potential impacts arising from climate change. For example, farmers can change how they use their land, farm different stock types, change when and how they graze stock, and provide catchment protection to enhance the resilience of their farms.
A number of projects supported by the Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry’s Sustainable Farming Fund are already helping the agriculture sector adapt to climate change. Examples of projects include water enhancement programmes such as irrigation, dry land management and diversification into new plant species.
On-farm strategies
Over the past 50 years, Hawkes Bay farmers Philip and Robyn Holt have created a farm development strategy to enable them to cope with the effects of climate change and to increase their farm’s resilience.
Their strategy includes planting trees on 20 percent of the farm – 10 percent for commercial forestry and the remainder for stock shelter and shade, fodder and erosion control.
As part of their ongoing on-farm catchment protection work, they have constructed two large water-harvesting dams with more than 7,000,000 litre capacity.
The Holts have also introduced a more flexible stock policy including a change to Perendale X sheep, a return to Angus cattle (due to their hardier nature) and the farming of goats for weed control.
The farm is widely recognised as an invaluable example of how to tackle the challenge of water shortages and drier conditions, which are predicted to become more prevalent in the future due to climate change.
Further information about the Holts is provided in Adapting to climate change in eastern NZ by Dr Gavin Kenny, available from: www.earthlimited.org/accenz.html
New Zealand farm
Philip Holt on his farm in the Hawkes Bay
