Good environmental practice is also good farm practice as this not only reduces the impact your farm has on the environment, but maximises the value of the resources you are using.  Good Management Practice (GMP) has been defined by a number of industry groups and has been accepted by Environment Canterbury in the Industry Agreed Good Management Practices Booklet.

All MHV Water shareholders will need to operate their farm at GMP by 2018, and then take steps to reduce their nutrient losses by a total of 36% by 2035.

Learn more about Industry Agreed Good Management Practice

Overall Management GMP 1: Identify the physical and biophysical characteristics of the farm system, assess the risk factors to water quality associated with the farm system, and manage appropriately.

Things you can do:

• Know the biophysical characteristics of your property (soil types, topography, and climate) and the physical characteristics (waterways, artificial drainage networks and irrigation), these will be in your Farm Environment Plan (FEP)
• Know and implement the actions you are going to take to reduce risk factors such as soil loss, nutrient loss and damage caused to soil structure. These actions will be in your FEP which is updated every year
• Record how you will manage effluent storage, feed storage, offal pits and the irrigation area and applications
• Keep your FEP up to date to your farm system and management practices so that it is relevant to you
• Keep up to date with new ideas and technologies that will help you mitigate your environmental risks

Overall Management GMP 2: Maintain accurate and auditable records of annual farm inputs, outputs and management practices

To meet this GMP, you will need to be able to demonstrate accurate and auditable records that:

• Identify all relevant farming activities and practices being carried out on your property, including those that demonstrate that relevant Good Management Practices (GMPs) are being used
• Demonstrate that the risks to water quality have been assessed
• Identify and implement how and when actions to mitigate risks are and will be undertaken. Keep record of when these identified actions in your FEP or audit report to mitigate risks have been achieved
• Have a regular OVERSEER® nutrient budget completed
• Keep all records up to date and easy to find/follow
• There are many resources available to help you keep accurate and auditable records. These consist of but are not limited to:
  • MINDA 
  • FarmIQ
  • Agri360
  • AgriMap
  • Regen
  • Harvest
  • ProductionWise
  • Smart Maps - Ravensdown
  • Precision Tracking
  • Agworld
  • Muddy Boots
  • Regular notes in a dairy/notebook
  • Spreadsheet with regular notes and updates

Industry Agreed Good Management Practices  

Dairy NZ recources cover a large range of topics including:-

• GMP
• Waterways
• Effluent Systems
• Water Use
• Land Management Guides
• Reviewing your wintering system
• Updates for the Canterbury Region
• Reviewing your wintering system

Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) provide resources, events and workshops for farmers.

Beef and Lamb New Zealand provide information and resources for farmers including Environmental Compliance.

Fertiliser supply companies such as Ravensdown and Ballance, can also provide farmers with advise on environmental compliance and GMP around fertilser application. 

Learn more about SMART Irrigation