With the growth mimicking that of early spring we can only hope that Ken Ring’s 2010 Almanac is correct in saying that June will be a warmer than usual month. Therefore, if the frosts don’t hit yet and soil temperature doesn’t drop, hopefully pasture growth that we all desperately need continues for a little longer.

To ensure we have enough feed for the masses, we will be sending almost half of our beef animals to the sale this week which is a shame as we usually see the best weight and price at September sales but this season farmers throughout the country will be cutting their losses.

It is certainly a year our of the usual, with the herd dried off a month early due to the drought we have an extra month up our sleeves to get farm maintenance well and truly underway.

The Government’s budget showed potential acknowledging the working class of New Zealand. For a while there I was wondering whether National’s true colours would come out and had a niggling fear they weren’t wanting to rock the boat too much and carrying on Labour’s path.

However the tax cuts for businesses truly are what is needed and that is, in the long run, where jobs are created. The more we prop up the unemployed, the less incentive there is for them to find work.

The funding boost to biosecurity is also much needed, but I think we also need more allocated to funding greenhouse research rather than taxing the farmer with little solution.

That said, the only problem I have with the Government is the Emissions Trading Scheme. Too rushed, not enough answers to so many questions, do we need this right now?

Also the seabed and foreshore, I know John wants treaty settlements sorted, but in reality is this ever going to happen? And are we creating a great divide between what is, at the end of the day, all New Zealanders?

And lastly but certainly not least, the Fonterra forecast announcement is fantastic, however cheque books are still only slowly thawing and while the ETS and regional councils’ bureaucracy are still looming with their bean counters thinking up new penalties for landowners, it is probably best we stay cautious.