Editorial: We are Trumped
OPINION: Nothing it seems can be done in the short term to get Donald Trump to change his mind about removing the unfair 15% tariffs that he’s imposed on New Zealand exports to the US.
Prime Minister John Key has praised the dairy industry for driving innovation and technology at the opening of Waikato Milking Systems new $13 million building in Hamilton today.
Key says the use of innovation and science is helping the industry succeed.
He says the size of the New Zealand dairy industry is often misunderstood overseas.
"When I go out and negotiate free trade deals around the world, people often think that we are bigger than we actually are,' he says.
"We only produce 3% of the world's milk; the issue is we are the biggest exporter because of our small domestic population.
"So, we export bulk of what we produce."
Key says New Zealand's dairy industry does this in "a completely unsubsidised way" and is still successful.
And part of the reason of this success is what companies like WMS do.
Key says WMS is driving innovation and technology and use of science.
"Anyone can milk cows and own big cows; the difficult issue to get level of production and productivity that that we getting."
Key also praised WMS for not only developing milking technology but exporting it around the world.
This is crucial to New Zealand's success, he says.
An independent report, prepared for Alliance farmer shareholders is backing the proposed $250 million joint venture investment by Irish company Dawn Meats Group.
Whangarei field service technician, Bryce Dickson has cemented his place in John Deere’s history, becoming the first ever person to win an award for the third time at the annual Australian and New Zealand Technician of the Year Awards, announced at a gala dinner in Brisbane last night.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).