Manawatu - the nation's food, fibre capital
OPINION: Kia ora and a warm welcome to everyone making a living off the land, contributing to our regional and national well-being. For regulars who make Field Days, a 'must attend', it's welcome back!
An organic dairy farm just north of Levin has been inundated with water after a stop bank on the Koputaroa steam failed this morning.
Record heavy rains which hit the area last Saturday caused local streams and the adjacent Manawatu River to rise and they are only slowly receding.
Murray Moxham who owns the farm says he had no warning of the sudden breach of the stop bank and he and his staff had to quickly move the cows 650 cows to what little high ground there in on the property.
The modern dairy shed is partly underwater and is impossible to access because of the floodwaters.
Moxham says he’s fortunate he’s not milking, but says because he is an organic farmer he can’t move the stock to another property. He says it will likely take several days for the water to recede.
A breach in stopbank floods Murray Moxham's farm.
One cow manages to stay away from the rising floodwaters on Murray Moxham's farm.
The flooded milk shed.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has informed staff it will cut 391 jobs following a consultation period.