Farmer confidence takes a tumble

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller inspecting a kiwifruit. Supplied photo.

Farmer confidence in New Zealand has dropped in the final quarter of 2017, having tumbled 41 per cent in the past six months on the back of political uncertainty.

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller says the latest Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey shows horticulturalists have experienced the biggest drop in net confidence.

'As the MP for Bay of Plenty, I'm really concerned that horticulture – the backbone of our local region – is losing confidence so rapidly,” says Todd.

'This is even more concerning when viewed in the context of the economy the Labour government inherited – a high performing economy that was firing on all cylinders.”

He believes the government has taken something that wasn't broken and tried to fix it.

'Now look at the result. I can understand why confidence has dropped and I don't see it improving any time soon when I look at their current trajectory. Huge drops in immigration will not serve our region's interests, particularly kiwifruit.

'When you combine this with the planned restructuring of employment law, which will significantly lift costs and compliance, there are only headaches ahead for our small businesses.”

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6 comments

Todd is right

Posted on 07-12-2017 17:00 | By MISS ADVENTURE

man reasons to be concerned and the answer will be more costs for employers so the end result will be less jobs particulaurly in small busiensses and in the regions, call it the Just-bin-ita effect. The shiny whites wont help a bit when reality hits and teh sillies are seen for what they arealy are.


Get real Todd

Posted on 07-12-2017 18:16 | By 1genx

labour is not responsible for a wet winter/ enhanced PSA risk, also your immigration policy allowed contractors to ripp off fellow Indians giving them an unfear advantage. These same contractors are now buying the orchards .


Arrogance or Ignorance?

Posted on 07-12-2017 18:57 | By backofthequeue

Water supplies in a shocking state. The health system in in even worse state. And farmer confidence in decline. After 9 years of mismanagement and self serving bureaucracy it is just so easy to blame a new government less than several weeks old. Be true to your party Todd but don't let the truth of the matter get in the way eh?


In the last 6 months

Posted on 07-12-2017 19:05 | By Merlin

In the last 6 months you were in power for most of that. The innuendo in your comments try to make out it all happened from the change of government.Blah Blah.


Just speeding up the next downturn

Posted on 07-12-2017 19:41 | By chewy

Even with the falling dollar it's looking like it's on the way .Dairy forecast down a few billion today so time to adjust some belts again.Hope the coagulation has made allowances for that.


Falling confidence

Posted on 08-12-2017 09:34 | By phoenix

We are all now aware of this cobbled together Government's agenda for when their lofty pre-election promises turn to custard." Everything in New Zealand is in a crisis situation because it's the fault of the last nine years of the National Government."


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