Sharemilker completes the trifecta
The major winners in the 2024 West Coast/Top of the South Share Farmer of the Year award, Michael and Cheryl Shearer were happy to complete the trifecta.
NZ is an emerging leader in the provision of ag technology — providing for countries that increasingly need to feed growing populations, Primary Industry Minister Nathan Guy told a conference in Beijing yesterday.
"We recognise that increased trade is not just about more products being exported, it's about an exchange of knowledge, expertise, technology and services, and investment," he told the Development Research Centre Food Security and Food Safety Strategy Summit.
He said New Zealand and China's primary sectors were becoming increasingly interconnected through two-way investment and lengthening supply chains.
"Building our own capacity in isolation is not enough – we need to work with our partners to ensure a stable supply of food for our region," he said.
"Strengthening cooperation is a major focus of New Zealand's and China's 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership'. We are focussed on consolidating and expanding cooperation in agriculture, including strengthening cooperation in trade, supporting the capability-building of China's dairy sector, and implementing the new Food Supervisory and Traceability Cooperation Programme.
"This has been evidenced by the significant number of cooperation programmes that we have targeted to China's agricultural goals in areas where New Zealand has world class expertise.
"In particular, we have focused our efforts on technical cooperation in dairy, as China seeks to consolidate the recent gains it has made in the productivity and commercialisation of its dairy sector."
A governance group has been formed, following extensive sector consultation, to implement the recommendations from the Industry Working Group's (IWG) final report and is said to be forming a 'road map' for improving New Zealand's animal genetic gain system.
Free workshops focused on managing risk in sharefarming got underway last week.
Annual farmer gathering, the South Island Dairy Event (SIDE), is set to make history as it heads to Timaru for the first time.
Installing 400 solar panels at their Taranaki piggery and cropping operation will have significant environmental, financial and animal welfare benefits for the Stanley family.
WoolWorks, New Zealand’s largest wool-scouring company, has partnered with the Lions Club of Riverton to help raise money for much-needed repairs to the Southland town’s swimming pool.
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