Painting the cow red
OPINION: How do you get people to stop drinking milk and switch to foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains?
OPINION: A debate is brewing in Australia about the ethics of breeding smaller-than-normal animals.
Miniature highland cows are popular with the public in Australia but cattle societies and vets are questioning the ethics of breeding smaller-than-normal animals. A miniature highland cow is classified by its size — which is anything less than the standard size of 1.06 metres.
Most “minis” carry a gene linked to a growth disorder known as chondrodysplasia, which can cause dwarfism.
According to Professor Imke Tammen, from the Sydney School of Veterinary Science, the gene can be lethal if both the sire and the dam (mother cow) carry it.
The Veterinary Institute of Animal Ethics says breeding miniature animals prioritises looks over quality of life.
A hundred primary schools across New Zealand are now better resourced to teach their students about food and farming after winning ‘George the Farmer’ book sets in a recent competition run by rural lender, Rabobank.
Kiwifruit growers are celebrating a trifecta of industry milestones next month.
TB differential slaughter levy rates are changing with dairy animals paying $12.25/head, an increase of 75c from next month.
Taranaki's Zero Possum project has entered a new phase, featuring a high-tech farmland barrier and a few squirts of mayo.
The recent Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) conference in Wellington was signalling cautious optimism on the back of rising milk and store cattle prices and drops in interest rates.
OPINION: Common sense has prevailed.
OPINION: How do you get people to stop drinking milk and switch to foods like fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains?
OPINION: It seems that our friends at Greenpeace are never satisfied.