New Zealanders want dairy farmers to clean up their act

New Zealand's dairy farmers, who have intensified and expanded their industry over two decades of chasing emerging export markets, are alienating the public with the consequent degradation of the nation's waterways, according to a survey out Monday.

The survey commissioned by angling and hunting organization Fish and Game New Zealand found that 37 percent of New Zealanders believed the economy was either too heavily dependent on dairy farming and 31 percent thought the growth of intensive dairying had gone too far.

Only 19 percent believed the country should continue to grow dairy farming, with more cows per hectare if necessary, according to the survey of 3,134 adults.

"The sole focus on ramping up primary sector growth -- notably intensive dairying -- whatever the costs, has put the economy on a collision course with the environment and public opinion," Fish and Game Chief Executive Bryce Johnson said in a statement.

The survey had also exposed a very clear risk for political parties of losing support if they introduced policies promoting economic growth without guaranteed safeguards to protect the environment.

The survey found 92 percent of New Zealanders believed either all or the majority of rivers and streams "should be safe for swimming, fishing and food gathering," but 70 percent thought the expansion of dairy farming had made the quality of fresh water worse than it was 20 years ago.

"The need to require the dairy industry to be on an environmentally sustainable footing is a no-brainer in the minds of the vast majority of Kiwis. The sector might believe it enjoys a 'license to operate,' but that is quite clearly in the process of being withdrawn by the public," said Johnson.

The government statistics agency, Statistics New Zealand, announced Monday that dairy and meat products drove a record rise in New Zealand's manufacturing sales in the December quarter last year.

The volume of total manufacturing sales rose 5.7 percent, with meat and dairy product manufacturing sales up 15 percent, according to Statistics New Zealand.