Q10231

                 Should New Zealand sell state owned enterprises to offshore investors?

It seems a bit hypocritical to sell off land that we take so much pride in and industries that create so much profit for the benefit of all New Zealanders. In southland alone the number of cows has increased by almost 400% since the 1980s and in the last five years there has been a rapid increase in converting to dairy creating more opportunities for offshore interest.

Selling shares of the largest dairy company in New Zealand, which creates 10.4 % of the countrys gross national product and is a lifeline to most dairy farmers in Southland is not a good way of keeping our reputation as a standout performer on the international dairy stage. In Southland alone the dairy industry produces close one and a half billion kilograms of milk solids every year, and a large amount gets exported to other countries due to offshore investment in our dairy industry.

In New Zealand there are more cows than people with a total of 4,369,675 and ten percent of these are located in the rural capital of New Zealand, Southland. With the rapid decline in sheep farming and sheep farmers converting to dairy not because it’s less expensive but more productive and profitable. From what I’ve heard from acquaintances that have recently converted to dairy say it’s more convenient and more profitable to run a dairy farm even though it is very time consuming and cost a lot getting started up.

Northland a huge rural area in the top of New Zealand is dominated by UN urbanised areas and most people thrive on the land and dominated by dairy farms. The Crafar family farms have come under alot of attention lately since they have gone under sale after a recession that made them redundant, they could no longer afford to run it any longer. This created interest from offshore interest in Chinese investors. But a dispute was brought up since the farms were in the family and it would be a huge loss to economic gain.

Since the rise in cow numbers in the last twenty years and dairy conversion on a rapid increase, we should not let our wallets get the best of us and sell whats so precious to us and our livelyhood,which makes you think what are we really selling?