increase font size
The new Market Connections Fund is an excellent initiative to help New Zealand businesses build back their relations with overseas customers, says Federated Farmers.
"The dairy industry has some ground work to do after the fall out of Fonterra's recall of product," says Willy Leferink, Federated Farmers Dairy chairman.
"We know a number of dairy exporters have been affected by this. Many have had product stuck in ports, which is hardly their fault.
"Relationship building needs to be done face to face if it is going to mean anything and I know this is going to be a huge help to those who are serious about repairing the damage done.
"The New Zealand Trade Enterprise fund will reimburse 50% of travel costs for New Zealand based employees, which means that businesses' will have to put their hand into their own pocket. This will sort out those who mean business out from those who are looking for subsidised holiday.
"Dairy farmers know their products are first rate in the world, and that New Zealand is a world class safe producer of food, however this has been put to the test. We want our exporters to get out there and re-establish themselves and this is the helping hand they needed," says Leferink.
The Government has announced it will pause key parts of Waikato Plan Change 1 (PC1) in a decision that is set to give Waikato farmers a reprieve from new consenting and farm-planning requirements while the wider resource management system is overhauled.
OPINION: As the general election approaches, political parties are churning out policies in the hope of attracting more votes.
Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst and his family raised a glass of milk last week to toast the start of a new addition to their farming operation at Makihihi, south of Timaru.
OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities Party, labelled by some as the 'LinkedIn Greens' for their corporate spin on Green-esque 'tax the rich' policies.
OPINION: Mike Chapman, former chief executive of levy-funded HortNZ, has thrown out a challenge to farmers and growers to put their levy-funded industry organisations under the same scrutiny as fertiliser, electricity, labour and freight.
State farmer Pamu has delivered its strongest operating result on record.
Four years since it was first detected in New Zealand, researchers and growers now know much more about management of maize pest fall armyworm (FAW).
The Government has announced it will pause key parts of Waikato Plan Change 1 (PC1) in a decision that is set to give Waikato farmers a reprieve from new consenting and farm-planning requirements while the wider resource management system is overhauled.
OPINION: The time has come for the Government to back the organic sector.
Plan ahead and be patient. That’s the message to farmers and horticulturalists from the chairman of the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association, Kent Weir.
The industry is crying out for graduates with agricultural related degrees.
OPINION: After hogging the media limelight for telling a NZ Chinese MP to "go back home", Winston Peters has decided…
OPINION: With fuel prices soaring, one would have expected most farmers to be reclaiming excise duty on petrol.
