Questionable future — Editorial
OPINION: The word uncertainty has taken on a new meaning for farmers in the past six months.
US dairy farmers are being caught up in the US primaries.
Building a wall on the border with Mexico and deporting all undocumented immigrants has become an applause line at Donald Trump’s rallies and the main policy idea for the GOP front-runner.
But Trump’s promise has sparked fear and frustration among farmers who, like it or not, depend on immigrant labor.
“I’m angry,” says dairy farmer Mike McMahon, who owns 700 cows in upstate New York, now the third-largest dairy producing state and the biggest producer of Greek-style yogurt in the country.
“For someone like Trump or Cruz to say they are going to send them all back is short-sighted because so much of our food supply is dependent on their labor,” he says.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.