NZ’s finest agricultural technologists were on display in China in a delegation led by Agriculture Minister David Carter. The visit is part of a broader Govt trade push with China. While Carter has signed a dairy cooperation agreement in Beijing, Foreign Minister Murray McCully has a schedule of meetings including Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi aimed […]
Farmers and rural investors hoping to cash in on what seemed like the relentless rise in rural land prices have been brought down to earth with farm prices and sales collapsing as banks get tough on lending. The price and sales slump has ramifications for regional economies. However bringing down the stratospheric recent prices for […]
Fonterra’s announcement of new annual checks on its suppliers’ effluent management is a swift response to a disappointing increase in non-compliant farms. Agriculture Minister David Carter says NZ’s clean, green reputation is at stake unless the nation can “back up its claims of sustainable dairying with tangible action and evidence.” Fonterra will stump up around […]
Communications Minister Steven Joyce says Cabinet’s decision to approve the roll out of rural broadband means a “big improvement” for rural communities, especially those on 56K dial-up speeds. He’s been left in no doubt how frustrated rural communities are up and down the country. Under the proposal, 97% of rural households will get broadband services […]
Breeding hoggets sooner could be the key to giving birth to heavier lambs according to Massey University research trials. The trials come as increasing numbers of sheep farmers mating their hoggets still face the problem of what to do with the younger and lighter hoggets’ lambs. Massey University. Assoc Professor Paul Kenyon says “The lighter […]
When Fonterra was established, enabling legislation required it provide some raw milk to rival processors as a way to leaven its dominance of the industry. The annual amount is currently capped at 600m litres and MAF predicts the limit will soon be reached. A High Court ruling this month may hasten the process. Grate Kiwi […]
Federated Farmers has mounted one of its biggest campaigns to battle the Horizons Regional Council’s proposed One Plan, characterising the all-encompassing resources strategy as a “licence to farm.” It’s exactly the kind of bureaucratic entanglement which has president Don Nicholson foaming at the mouth. Yet the commissioners tasked with deliberating on the council’s proposal may […]
FedFarmers wants farmers to tighten farm employment practices following revelations one in four farm employees do not have written employment contracts. FedFarmers president Don Nicolson says “Last month’s Federated Farmers/Rabobank Farm Employee Remuneration Report showed a big hole in farm employment practices. It’s a big worry in fact to see so many farm businesses, […]
Proposals to create a specialist water agency to deal with pressing Canterbury water allocation issues are gaining a favourable hearing in the Beehive, with the replacement of the current Environment Canterbury councillors with commissioners and legislation already drafted to create a new kind of agency to oversee complex water allocation issues. Canterbury has the country’s […]
Following on from the release of the Wool Taskforce report, Agriculture Minister David Carter will shortly announce the appointment of someone to devise the structure of a new “industry good” body. The appropriate person will need to be a “real head-banger” because the range of factions from growers to exporters and marketers are hard to […]
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