Mid-Canterbury Federated Farmers is concerned the proposed Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan will have a severe impact on the profitability of sheep farming.
President Chris Allen says a radical feature of the plan is that farmers will have to adhere to a certain level of nutrient discharge determined by a computer software programme.
He says if the computer programme, called Overseer, detects a 10% increase in nitrogen leaching from a farm, the farmer is deemed to have changed the use of the land and will need to apply for a resource consent.
In the case of red-zoned or orange-zoned Canterbury land, he says, it is likely that such an application would be declined.
Mr Allen says submissions on the plan close in October and he encourages all mid-Canterbury farmers to make their views known to the Canterbury Regional Council.
