New Federated Farmers meat and wool chair praises predecessor
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Fonterra been told to improve its communication with farmer shareholders.
Federated Farmers Dairy chairman Andrew Hoggard told its council conference in Nelson last week that the industry needs to better brand the NZ story.
"Our companies need to continue to look to add value, but also better explain how they are doing it," he says.
"At times Fonterra fills me with hope, and then fills me with doubt. Its communication to farmers on what it is doing and why, needs to improve dramatically."
Hoggard says competition for dairy in the global market is getting stronger.
The CAP reforms were supposed to be about a rebalancing in Europe with production moving to the green belt, countries like Ireland. If that occurs Europe it will become more competitive, even without support, and more innovative, he adds.
"When your average herd size is only 10 cows, to lift production by 10% only equates to one cow, and there is a very low marginal cost to that.
"So even if we had a level playing field, Europe and others could well perhaps be tougher competitors than they are now. It means our industry needs to get smarter. We have rested on our laurels to a degree that consumers automatically associate New Zealand products with high standards and safe food.
"As mentioned farmers in New Zealand have invested heavily in environmental initiatives, but not just that but also animal welfare, there is a good story to talk about with climate change, and many other aspects."
Another issue facing the industry is the impact on dairying on water quality.
Hoggard says farming definitely has an impact on water quality.
"As an industry we need to continue working on improving that, and if farming practices were to emerge upstream of me that were to put that quality at risk I would be the first to rally against that, being able to take my kids playing in the river is very important to me.
"But this debate does get slightly hysterical at times with claims that our rivers are ruined and you can't swim in any of them. Which is plainly not true, it absolutely gets me livid that every time any mention of the Manawatu river is made, they always say 'reportedly the worst in the Western world' based on one study where the author himself disputed that headline.
"But it was once falsely reported as the worst in the Western world which means that media from here on out can say it was 'reportedly' the worst, based on a false report they made." – Sudesh Kissun
Following heavy rain which caused flooding in parts of Nelson-Tasman and sewerage overflows in Marlborough, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO Scheme) is urging homeowners and tenants to be cautious when cleaning up and to take the right steps to support claims.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.