Mark Hooper Joins NZPork Board as Independent Director
Rural leader Mark Hooper has been appointed as an independent director to the NZPork board, bringing extensive farming, governance and advocacy experience to the role.
DairyNZ's proposed M. bovis levy of up to 3.9c/kgMS is a lot higher than some were expecting, says Federated Farmers dairy chair Chris Lewis.
Dairy farmers are being asked to approve a levy of up to 3.9 cents/kgMS over the next two seasons to pay their share of the Mycoplasma bovis eradication effort.
Lewis said while farmers generally accept the need for eradication, the proposed levy was suprisingly high.
“When it came in at 3.9 it made me look again; it is a lot of money," said Lewis.
He said many dairy farmers are still unhappy about the 94:6 split between the dairy and beef sectors, as agreed to by DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ.
“What is it paying for, what are we getting for that amount of money?”
Lewis encouraged farmers to go to the consultation meetings, ask questions and have their say.
Read more about the proposed levy and how you can have your say here.
Farms across the upper North Island are trialling different pasture mixes as part of a research programme that aims to build greater resilience into farming systems.
Election years are always a concerning time for farmers, according to DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown.
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards are coming to the West Coast of the South Island.
Most dairy regions around the country have had a pretty good season so far says Tracy Brown.
Rural leader Mark Hooper has been appointed as an independent director to the NZPork board, bringing extensive farming, governance and advocacy experience to the role.
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