Nothing for our most productive sector in Budget — National
Budget 2020 hasn’t provided anything of note for the primary sector at a time when it is leading our nation’s rebuild, National’s Agriculture spokesperson Todd Muller says.
Now that the circus surrounding the Budget’s release has subsided, Milking It makes the following observations about some of its contents.
Like other commentators, we can’t help but notice many of the spending allocations are not accompanied by policy outcome targets. No doubt burned by the Kiwibuild fiasco (‘10,000 houses a year’), the government now seems wary of setting specific targets. This will not help it spend billions wisely. Much moola could end up in the wind.
We also note some contradictions: nearly $2 billion for mental health is laudable, but is diametrically opposed to the likely effects of legalising dope. And $8.5 million is earmarked for research into reducing agricultural emissions. This is, at best, a token amount, given the scale of the challenge of meeting the punishing emissions targets suggested by the government. If James Shaw was serious about helping farmers reduce emissions in any way other than wholesale destocking, a bit more coin would have been in order.
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
OPINION: Should cows in NZ be microchipped?
OPINION: Legislation being drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the…