Adverse Events
The past three years have been hugely challenging with droughts, floods, snowstorms and earthquakes. Such events place our rural communities under considerable financial pressure as farmers work to put right what Mother Nature has delivered. Additionally, and often overlooked, is the human toll on families and the community.
Adverse events can also bring out the best in communities, with rural people never slow to lend a hand, whether it is to neighbours or to their city cousins. This was most notable when the Farmy Army turned out in force to help Christchurch residents clean up after the devastating February and June earthquakes.
Federated Farmers has a strong background and reputation in the area of adverse events, being at the forefront of major responses and longer term recovery planning, working alongside organisations such as the Rural Support Trusts, Civil Defence and local authorities.
The self-help ethic is strong in the rural community both in risk mitigation and in response to adverse events. Farmers invest considerable sums of money and effort, both individually and collectively, into risk management initiatives such as flood protection, drainage, irrigation and water storage infrastructure and feed. Nowhere is farming practiced with the expectation that government will be the insurer of last resort.
Federated Farmers generally supports the Government's approach to adverse events, including the continuance of the Agricultural Recovery Programme and funding to develop and maintain the capacity of rural support trusts. Federated Farmers supports MAF's coordination role for these trusts.
Advice and Information
The spokesperson on Adverse Events is Federated Farmers Board member David Rose, you can contact him at drose@fedfarm.org.nz.
