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Its not good enough dairy farmers

Rural News
Its not good enough dairy farmers

One in five Canterbury dairy farms fails to meet environmental standards for effluent disposal, a new report says. Environment Canterbury's annual dairy-shed effluent report found more farms fully complied with environmental standards from 39.6 per cent in 2006-07 to 45.8% in 2007-08.  It also recorded an increase in the number with significant or major non-compliance problems (20%, up from 17.7% last year) as reported in The Southland Times. Major problems include ponding of effluent, waste being dumped into waterways or nitrogen overload. One farmer has been fined $8500 for environmental breaches and another court case is pending. About a third of the 696 farms monitored had minor non-compliance problems. The report, released yesterday, said there had been little change in compliance rates for the past five years.

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