While the cheque book has certainly been in the freezer there are still the necessities that add up to a considerable amount no matter what size the dairy farm is.

That said, the value added payout for August will be a big help, and I’m sure all other dairy farmers are in the same boat hanging on for dear life until that payout. Each morning the news is on and we watch with bated breath as they announce the value of the NZ$. There isn’t much else any of us in the export sector can do is there?

While most of us, if we are careful, will get through these tough times, would we if there was a serious disease outbreak such as foot and mouth which farmers in England endured?

The job cuts by MAF has myself and many others worried. With agriculture and horticulture vital to New Zealand’s economy we can’t afford to take risks and should be using the declining numbers of travelers and cargo being imported to ensure that our borders have quality checks. With many diseases and pests devastating crops and livestock globally, there are some that don’t give farmers a second chance and that would be the worst thing that could happen to a country like New Zealand so isolated and relying on top-quality exports.

I, like many of you, understand that there must be cost cutting in these times, but surely there are other ways that won’t jeopardise an industry that is already struggling to deal with global impacts out of its control.