Rural Lobby Groups Seek Clear Election Positions On Farming And Emissions
Centre right parties are backing policy positions pushed by three farmer lobby groups ahead of the general election.
OPINION: Environment Minister David Parker, likely in the final weeks of the job, remains hell-bent on burning bridges with farmers.
Parker, who has never been a favourite of the farming sector, recently labelled members of rural ginger group Groundswell NZ as “dinosaurs”.
The group was founded in 2020 by farmers Bryce McKenzie and Laurie Patterson in response to a series of regulations the group says are “unworkable”. It has built up a reputation standing up to the Government where industry-good organisations have failed.
Parker’s recent outburst is understandable. With Labour on the ropes and Groundswell urging rural voters not to vote Labour, Parker knows that rural voters who backed Jacinda Ardern in 2021 are on the move again.
Paynes Titus Excelsior ET, an LIC bull bred by Brad Payne and Claire Brodie in the Waikato, has won the JT Thwaites Sire of the Season 2026 Award.
South Canterbury farmer Colin Hurst has been elected as the new president of Federated Farmers.
Dairy continues to be the mainstay of the country's primary export earnings.
China remains New Zealand’s biggest market, taking $23 billion of our exports, but it’s no longer a commodity story, says Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
For Jane Smith, becoming a Ravensdown director has been a way she can actively contribute to something quite personal to her - protecting and strengthening a co-operative she deeply believes in.
Lactalis New Zealand has opened a new distribution centre in Christchurch, marking a significant investment in the company's South Island supply chain capability.
OPINION: No one messes around with Winston Peters, more so in a general election year.
OPINION: Staying on Federated Farmers, this week's annual general meeting in Auckland is shaping up to be an interesting one.