Federated Farmers Got What They Asked For In This Year’s Budget – Nathan Penny Joins Mark Leishman On Round Up

Federated Farmers got what they asked for in this year’s Budget. Acting President Wayne Langford says the Government has in fact exceeded farmers’ expectations. Wayne Langford says he made it clear last week in his Budget Wishlist that farmers weren’t looking for a handout but did want the Government to stop weighing us down with impractical and unfair regulations that are costly red tape. Wayne Langford says there is a cost-of-farming crisis in New Zealand with fertiliser costs up 28%, fuel costs up 33%, at one point and interest rates up 45%. He says they are also under real pressure with staff costs, rate increases, and the impacts of general inflation. Wayne Langford says Government spending is now $61 billion higher than it was six years ago, and the Budget says it will double from the period 2017 to 2027. He says what farmers really want to see from the Government is reduced red tape. We’ll have a budget review with Westpac’s Nathan Penny in our Round Up segment.