Crazy
OPINION: Your canine crusader was truly impressed by the almost unanimous support given by politicians of all stripes in Parliament to the recent passing of legislation for the NZ/EU free trade deal.
The Government is making $200,000 available to the local Rural Support Trust to help West Coast farmers and growers recover from these latest floods.
Rural Communities Minister Damien O'Connor says the funding will help speed up the recovery of farming businesses. It includes wellbeing support and specialist technical advice and enables the use of Enhanced Taskforce Green workers should they be required to help.
"The funding will help farmers and growers across Buller, Grey and Westland districts along with Nelson/Tasman and Marlborough districts, many of whom are facing a huge clean-up after the wettest February on record triggered widespread flooding. Floodwaters caused by two severe weather events in the space of a week damaged infrastructure, farm buildings, and paddocks, left feed crops submerged and washed away bales of winter supplementary feed," he says.
O'Connor says MPI along with government will continue to assess whether further support is needed as the full extent of the flood damage becomes more apparent over the coming weeks.
He says farmers needing help to manage feed shortages are encouraged to contact their levy body, such as DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, or Federated Farmers. He says those needing support around dealing with floods are encouraged to visit the MPI Website.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Two major red meat sector projects are getting up to a combined $1.7 million in funding from the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).
Angus Barr and Tara Dwyer of The Wandle, Lone Star Farms in Strath Taieri have been named the Regional Supreme Winners at the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards in Dunedin.
OPINION: The distress that the politicians and bureaucrats are causing to the people of Wairoa and the wider Tairāwhiti is unforgivable.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
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