NZ scientists make breakthrough in Facial Eczema research
A significant breakthrough in understanding facial eczema (FE) in livestock brings New Zealand closer to reducing the disease’s devastating impact on farmers, animals, and rural communities.
Still on the Fieldays, one weird product seen there has made global news.
Meat lovers’ chocolate has gone global (though some punters query the mention of the prime ingredient in the name). Overseas media reactions to the sweet treat – it contains 50% meat – range from encouraging to incredulous. Website ‘Death and Taxes’ asked Kiwis if they really wanted to add meaty choccies to the little the world knew about us, after already having to “suffer numerous indignities based on the rest of the world’s general ignorance of your country”. But it was heavenly publicity to the US beef industry’s cattlenetwork.com, which declared the stuff “good news for that untapped segment of consumers waiting for a product with the nutritional value of meat and the indulgent taste of chocolate”. All this global hooha has AgResearch senior scientist Mustafa Farouk and Devonport Chocolates excited about the product’s future.
BNZ says it is backing aspiring dairy farmers through an innovative new initiative that helps make the first step to farm ownership or sharemilking a little easier.
LIC chief executive David Chin says meeting the revised methane reduction targets will rely on practical science, smart technology, and genuine collaboration across the sector.
Lincoln University Dairy Farm will be tweaking some management practices after an animal welfare complaint laid in mid-August, despite the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) investigation into the complaint finding no cause for action.
A large slice of the $3.2 billion proposed capital return for Fonterra farmer shareholders could end up with the banks.
Opening a new $3 million methane research barn in Waikato this month, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay called on the dairy sector to “go as fast as you can and prove the concepts”.
New Zealand’s trade with the European Union has jumped $2 billion since a free trade deal entered into force in May last year.
OPINION: Voting is underway for Fonterra’s divestment proposal, with shareholders deciding whether or not sell its consumer brands business.
OPINION: Politicians and Wellington bureaucrats should take a leaf out of the book of Canterbury District Police Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.