The Northern Express Herald

Fieldays 2026: Federated Farmers unveils five-point plan for Election 2026

The Country

Federated Farmers national president Wayne Langford. Photo / Stephen Barker

Federated Farmers has launched a five-point plan for the next Government, setting out what it says should be a major focus for political parties heading into the November election.

National president Wayne Langford said in a statement the organisation’s plan was a practical blueprint for whichever parties formed the next Government.

“This isn’t just another wish list or a collection of vague ideas,” Langford said.

“It’s a clear roadmap built by farmers to double farm productivity, cut costs, and improve environmental outcomes.”

Langford said the plan was launched this week to coincide with National Fieldays, the sector’s biggest event of the year.

“These priorities are all about making sure farmers have the right rules and government backing to improve profitability and grow the economy.”

The five-point plan focuses on:

  • Cutting the cost of farming;
  • Enabling technology and infrastructure;
  • Empowering community conservation;
  • Supporting young farmers;
  • Fixing local government.

Langford said each theme had specific, practical requests for whoever formed the next Government.

He said examples included asking resource consents be replaced by farm plans, an end to permanent carbon forestry, and no new taxes introduced for farmers.

“We’ve also laid out practical steps to cut the cost of farming, accelerate solar uptake on farms, and double the funding for QEII Trust.

“With local government reform currently underway, we’ve spelled out exactly what we think should happen, including a separation of provincial areas from major cities, and removing councils’ ability to commit to joint decision-making with unelected groups.”

Langford said Federated Farmers had huge success with its list of election priorities in 2023, which was geared towards restoring rural confidence.

“We put forward 12 priorities for the incoming Government, and we’re pleased to have got all 12 of those across the line over the past three years.

“As a result, while costs are still high and some regulations are still a niggle, rural communities are feeling a lot more positive about the future.”

He said that’s why Federated Farmers had shifted focus, launching 2026 election priorities designed to continue that momentum and unlock the full potential of rural New Zealand.

Langford said a stronger farming sector benefited the entire country, not just rural communities.

Federated Farmers’ policy priorities for the next government

Cut the cost of farming

  • Create 10 new permitted activity standards for farming;
  • Guarantee flexible land use in every region;
  • Stop incentivising whole-farm conversions to permanent carbon forestry;
  • Use farm plans to replace resource consents;
  • Introduce no new taxes for farmers.

Empower community conservation

  • Use 100% of International Visitor Levy funding for conservation and tourism projects;
  • Allocate a 10-year funding stream to control wilding pines;
  • Permanently double funding for the QEII National Trust;
  • Restore grazing to 500,000ha of Department of Conservation land;
  • Ensure coordinated pest control across public and private land.

Enable technology and infrastructure

  • Streamline access to new technologies;
  • Rebalance EPA resources toward new approvals and product innovation;
  • Provide seed funding for new water storage projects;
  • Establish national standards for on-farm water storage;
  • Establish national standards for small-and medium-scale solar.

Support young farmers

  • Support practical and industry-led vocational training;
  • Build practical industry experience, work-based learning and apprenticeship pathways into vocational education;
  • Empower rural schools to teach agriculture;
  • Review the Sharemilking Agreements Act;
  • Include agricultural and horticultural science within the Year 0-10 science curriculum.

Fix local government

  • Establish a single layer of local government;
  • Separate provincial areas from major cities;
  • Remove the need for cultural impact assessments;
  • Ensure fair compensation for overlays, like outstanding natural landscapes and significant natural areas;
  • Remove the ability for councils to commit to joint decision-making with unelected groups.