A view on issues outside the farm gate that will influence the performance of hill country farming

Abstract

Thank you for the invitation to be with you today and to participate in this symposium. As a recent newcomer to the ranks of hill country farming, I am looking forward to picking up some pointers I can take back to my small team at Mt Alford Station in Mid Canterbury. With academics and commentators speaking out strongly against the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), central Auckland traffic being brought to a standstill by protests around the signing of TPP on 4 February, global dairy prices slumping, and major daily fluctuations seemingly becoming normal in global stock markets, you could be forgiven for concluding that nothing is rational or normal anymore.