What is integrated farm planning?
Integrated farm planning is an approach that brings all of your farm planning requirements into one place. Using integrated farm planning will:
- streamline compliance
- reduce duplication and costs
- improve information sharing across the primary industries and between regulators and industry assurance programmes
- help you achieve your business goals
- make it simpler to meet business and regulatory requirements.
Integrated Farm Planning – Fact sheet [PDF, 247 KB]
How will it benefit farmers and growers?
Integrated farm planning will build on the activities you already do and make them less time-consuming.
That could be through industry assurance programmes, regional councils, or independently.
It will help you improve your on-farm performance and meet freshwater and greenhouse gas regulatory requirements by 2025.
What support is available?
Budget 2021 allocated $37 million over 4 years to accelerate the delivery of the national farm planning framework.
To help achieve that, the Careers Pathway Scheme will support the training and development of up to 100 skilled farm advisers to provide advice.
Targeted industry, regional council, community, and catchment initiatives will receive funding through the Integrated Farm Planning Accelerator Fund.
Integrated farm planning accelerator fund
Budget boost to tackle on-farm emissions – Government media release
Cross-sector collaboration
Achieving a more efficient and consistent farm planning system requires a cross-sector effort.
Work has begun to improve information and data sharing across the primary industries and between regulators and industry assurance programmes.
A steering group made up of senior representatives of industry, regional councils, and government agencies is partnering with us to drive the programme. The group’s members are:
- Ministry for the Environment (MfE)
- Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)
- Federated Farmers
- DairyNZ
- Deer Industry NZ
- Beef + Lamb NZ
- Horticulture NZ
- Foundation for Arable Research (FAR)
- Federation of Māori Authorities
- Regional council representatives
Achieving consistent farm planning standards
In May 2021, the steering group endorsed the first step towards consistency in standards for farm planning.
Good farm planning principles: Towards integrated farm planning is a guidance document that provides practical information to help you run your agribusiness.
It focuses on areas to prioritise, gives guidance for improvement, and clearly sets out mandatory requirements.
Good farm planning principles: Towards integrated farm planning [PDF, 1022 KB]
Farm planning framework supports farmers into the future – Government media release
What is happening with farm planning and what you can do
If you are already under an industry assurance programme (IAP), you may see changes to your plans as they are rolled out by your IAP during 2021-2022.
If you aren’t part of an IAP or another farm planning scheme, the guidance document is a useful starting point.
You are encouraged to reach out to professional services, your local catchment group, or a relevant IAP or other primary sector farm planning initiative.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is developing a template and resources to support farmers who don’t already have a farm plan, which will be available in 2022.
MPI is also collating technical guides for rural professionals covering people management, biosecurity, and animal welfare.
Find out more about integrated farm planning
Integrated farm planning is part of broader efforts to lower agricultural emissions and improve freshwater quality.
He Waka Eke Noa – Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership
Intensive Winter Grazing Module
Freshwater Farm Plans Regulations for freshwater farm plans – Ministry for the Environment
Primary Industries Advisory Services
Your industry body may also have further information on farm planning on its website.
