Conrad Smith: Farming and sport share similar demands
The challenges of high-performance sport and farming are not as dissimilar as they may first appear.
SOCIAL MEDIA have thrust farmers into customers’ and consumers’ spotlights, revealing how food is produced and the resources used to produce it.
DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says the public are taking a greater interest in what’s happening on farms, bringing farmers new challenges.
“We certainly have a job to educate the public about what the practical realities are of food production. There’s work we have to do and it’s no different from a lot of other industries. We know we have an urban population in New Zealand and so we have to work hard at making sure they understand what we do.”
Mackle says a big risk of social media is things being taken out of context, misrepresented and often picked up by key overseas customers. “We must ensure we are farming using good practices and all following good standards that we agree on. But we also need some strategies we agree on to counter misrepresented stories.”
Mackle warns farmers they “might have to do more environmentally than is in their milk supply contracts”. For example, water is a big issue and over the last five years the awareness of water quality issues by farmers has increased dramatically.
“For some more than others, but the awareness at least of farmers is certainly there now. As an industry we are relative newbies to the whole sustainability agenda so we have been playing catch-up for a while. But we are getting ourselves well organised now and farmers are getting into things they need to be doing and we are trying to work through what has to be done.”
Mackle says the new water accord sets out base level across the country, and what is regarded as good practice. Catchments in some regions will require more attention and work by farmers who must band together and see how collectively they can improve. Mackle points to efforts of farmers in the Lake Rotorua catchment as an example.
The solution lies in a “community approach being taken whereby farmers can be a part of the solution. So long as they are making a profit they are happy to chip in and help,” he says.
New Zealand milk production is off to a strong start, with the first month of the 2025/26 dairy season recording a whopping 17.8% jump in milk production, compared to the previous season.
With adverse weather set to rain down on the Top of the South, the Bay of Plenty and parts of Northland, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says farmers, foresters, and growers need to prepare for possible challenges.
Keep up with innovation and e-commerce in China or risk losing market share. That was the message delivered at the China Business Summit in Auckland this month.
Meat Industry Association (MIA) independent chair Nathan Guy says getting meat processors involved has been a shot in the arm for the sector's key marketing initiative into China, Taste Pure Nature.
Listed carpet manufacturer, Bremworth is undertaking a $6 million expansion at its Napier plant more than two years after the site was heavily damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Federated Farmers is vowing to keep the big banks accountable for their actions and to continue pushing for meaningful change in the rural lending sector.
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