DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ wrap up M. bovis compensation support after $161M in claims
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
A leading exponent of once-a-day milking says it’s important that New Zealand attracts intelligent, keen young people to the dairy industry.
Dairy farmer Leo Vollebregt, of Wairarapa, last week hosted on his farm 35 secondary school teachers from the Wellington region, including careers, science, commerce, maths and English teachers.
This was the fifth such annual trip, organised by DairyNZ’s Susan Stokes and Rural News Group journalist Peter Burke, plus sponsors. They take city teachers into the country and show them farming career opportunities for young people.
As well as visiting the dairy farm, the teachers were taken to a Landcorp sheep and beef farm and an orchard.
Speakers on the day were mostly young graduates from Massey and Lincoln universities and Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre.
Vollebregt says careers advisors are the key means of getting young people interested in farming.
“City people must get on a farm to understand the important opportunities there. You can’t do this by just sitting back in your office in an urban environment.”
Supporting this opinion is Wellington High School science teacher and careers advisor Tony Cains, who described the day as awesome.
Cairns says he now understands that farming requires not just agriculture and horticulture, but science, maths, communications and English.
Farming is a complex business, he now realises.
“Teachers like me didn’t understand the breadth of opportunities and range of careers; we now realise that we should be sending our top students, as well as kids who simply want to work the land, to make careers in the agri sector.”
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.
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