Bay of Plenty dairy awards see repeat winners
Bay of Plenty’s top share farmers Andre and Natalie Meier are no strangers to the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards winning circle.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council biosecurity staff are warning local landowners to check that machinery is clean and stock are empty before allowing them through their gates this Gypsy Day.
Gypsy Day (June 1) is traditionally the first day of the new dairying season when sharemilkers load their cows into stock trucks or herd stock on roads and move equipment and families to new farms.
"Velvetleaf is not just a fodder beet seed issue. The Waikato Regional Council has been working to contain a velvetleaf infestation found in Waikato maize crops and silage," says Bay of Plenty Regional Council biosecurity manager Greg Corbett.
"Velvetleaf is just one of many pasture weeds we're working hard to keep out of the Bay of Plenty. Along with Noogoora bur and alligator weed, its seeds or plant fragments can easily be carried from one property to another in stock faeces, hooves, fur or soil attached to machinery. It's important that landowners protect their land and livelihoods by being their own border control."
Bay of Plenty farmers can keep invasive pasture weeds off their farms by checking where maize feed, stock or machinery has come from and making sure it's not bringing any unwanted pests with it when it comes onto their farm.
Corbett says key precautions landowners should take are to ask contractors and new tenants to remove all visible soil and plant matter from their machinery and stock, before they leave their last location.
"Allowing stock to empty out before transport will also reduce the risk of seed being spread through cow dung," says Corbett.
More information about pasture weeds and machinery hygiene is available at www.boprc.govt.nz/pestplants
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.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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.