A farmer-led approach to developing on-farm nutrient management solutions to protect Lake Rerewhakaaitu

Lake Rerewhakaaitu. Photo by Alison Marshall, courtesy of Environment Bay of Plenty

A farmer-led MAF Sustainable farming Fund project is underway in the Lake Rerewhakaaitu  catchment (South of Lake Rotorua) to develop a voluntary approach to reduce farm nutrient losses and improve lake water quality.

Reducing nutrient losses from pastoral farms is critical for improving water quality.  Mitigating nutrient losses on all catchment farms needs to occur to achieve water quality targets. 

AgResearch’s Environmental Footprinting Centre is working with Lake Rerewhakaaitu farmers to develop individual Whole Farm Management plans and on-farm solutions to reduce nutrient loss and improve stream and lake water quality. Mitigations options identified are then discussed with individual farmers so that the best solutions for each farm can be identlified and implemented. 

The individual Whole Farm Management plans will be used to develop a catchment management plan.

This project aims to demonstrate and test how a positive and co-operative approach can achieve water quality targets while allowing profitable farming to continue.