There were no frills or surprises in this year’s budget, says Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford.

"Just like the average farmer’s budget, the Government doesn’t have a lot of spare cash laying around to spend on nice-to-haves and optional extras," Langford says.

"Money has been really tight for farming families and rural communities for a while now, and it looks like that economic reality is starting to hit home for the rest of the country.

"When our farmers are doing well, the New Zealand economy seems to do pretty well too - but unfortunately farmers have been doing it really tough this season."

Langford says that farmers have been struggling with reduced incomes, rampant inflation and out-of-control compliance costs.

"We’re pleased to see all of the non-negotiables are still there, with continued funding for frontline biosecurity, catchment groups, and the cyclone recovery," Langford says.

Langford says the Government is also continuing to invest in research to help farmers manage their environmental footprint.

"The road to New Zealand’s economic success isn’t paved with more red tape, regulation, and compliance costs - it’s paved with milk, meat, fruit and grain.

"We need to be unshackling the potential of our productive sectors who create jobs and earn and income for the country," Langford says.

"Farmers have never been looking for a handout. We just want to see the Government continue to cut unnecessary red tape and compliance costs that have been bogging us down."

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