Rural lobby group, Federated Farmers, has published a "manifesto" in the run up to next Saturday's general election, calling on townies to work with rural voters.

"All New Zealanders, city and rural, have to work together if we are to make progress as a nation and remain a first world country," national president Don Nicolson said today.

He said the manifesto, being launched at Wellington's main railway station today before the commuter rush, was the federation's blueprint to enable farmers, businesses and the economy to hit their full potential.

Mr Nicolson said the three immediate priorities were to ensure the next government controls its spending, gets water storage -- dams -- on the list of infrastructure projects to be supported, and offers an exemption for farm animals from the Emissions Trading Scheme.

But the hunting and fishing lobby group, Fish and Game's chief executive Bryce Johnson said Federated Farmers was arguing that the future of New Zealand lay in expanding farming.

Fish and Game has campaigned against "dirty dairying" and the destruction of waterways.

"But if farming is to have any future, it must be environmentally sustainable as a bottom line," he said.

"Launching a manifesto during uncertain economic times provides an opportunity to advocate for development and agricultural intensification at the expense of our already threatened environment," Mr Johnson said.

He said the federation had repeatedly called for "reform" of the Resource Management Act to reduce environmental protection, and claimed it gave lip service to environmental sustainability only as long as priority was given to profits.

Federated Farmers was also against "interference" by conservation, and environmental groups and regional councils while seeking easier and cheaper access to fresh water for intensive agriculture.

It also regularly called for agriculture to receive leniency for its adverse environmental effects, Mr Johnson said.

But Mr Nicolson noted politicians repeatedly said New Zealand needed to increase exports and that the nation's economy was in recession, with potential for falling earnings from sheep and dairy cattle next year.

Farmers did not need any more unnecessary "head winds", but they did need recognition that agriculture was the backbone of the economy.

Mr Nicolson said farmers naturally cared for the environment as they worked the land: "Financially unviable farmers is not going to help anyone, let alone the environment".

He criticised "myopic" policy-setting and called for sensible policies around infrastructure, skills, research and development, property rights and water.

"Farming is the best bet to economic performance and well-being of all New Zealanders," Mr Nicolson said.