Editorial: O Canada
OPINION: The Canadian government's love affair with its lifestyle dairy farmers has got it into trouble once again.
Aged 64, Malcolm Bailey says farewell after a stellar career in the dairy industry but his knowledge, innovation and drive will not be lost to the wider primary sector.
He's got no plans for politics; his focus will be on the many innovative technology companies he's involved with. He says countries such as the US which have strong economic engines are at the leading edge in the technology space. He says NZ also has the potential to do that and says his economic background is helpful when it comes to crunching numbers and seeing whether a venture is profitable.
One of the companies he's involved with is Greentech Robotics, based in Palmerston North, which is in the final stages of having one of its products, WeedSpider, operating on farms in the US. It's set to be the world's first truly autonomous weeding robot capable of identifying and eliminating weeds in a variety of crops, without a human lifting a finger.
Bailey says the idea was developed to help commercial vegetable growers who worldwide are facing labour shortages. The robot drives up and down the rows of plants, identifying and removing the weeds. The company has other products in the pipeline. He says throughout his life he's been prepared to put some resource into developing new businesses and helping to create new jobs. The next phase of his life will be in the technology sector.
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
OPINION: Should Greenpeace be stripped of their charitable status? Farmers say yes.
OPINION: After years of financial turmoil, Canterbury milk processor Synlait is now back in business.