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OPINION: Normally farmer good organisations are happy to use the media to get their message across to politicians and the consumers.
However, across the ditch a leaked email from the Australian peak farmer body, National Farmers Federation (NFF), is directing its members to stay silent on a story linking the common farm chemical paraquat to Parkinson’s disease.
In a leaked email seen by the ABC, the NFF head office encourages its members to “avoid prolonging the story”.
The widely used herbicide has been under safety review by the chemical regulator since 1997. Last month, proposed regulatory changes were announced, which are open for public consultation until the end of October. However, not all farmers are abiding from the NFF directive. The leader of the Victorian state branch has ignored it, saying she believes a debate needs to be had about the safe use of the chemical and the health of farmers.
OPINION: Your old mate hears that at a recent China Business Summit, PM Christopher Luxon delivered a none-too-subtle "could try harder" report card on the red meat industry regarding its exports to China - particularly when compared to Australia.
OPINION: According to media reports, the eye-watering price of butter has prompted Finance Minister Nicola Willis to ask for a 'please explain' from her former employer Fonterra.
OPINION: As India negotiates to open its borders to more global products, dairy is proving a sticky issue.
OPINION: Paranoia about foreigners is at an all-time high in the US and attention is now turning to foreign-owned farmland.
Kiwis love their butter, and that's great because New Zealand produces some of the best butter in the world. But when the price of butter goes up, it's tough for some, particularly when many other grocery staples have also gone up and the heat goes on co-operative Fonterra, the country's main butter maker. Here the co-op explains why butter prices are so high right now.
DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown has waded into the debate around soaring butter prices, pointing out that the demand for dairy overseas dictates the price to farmers and at the supermarket.
Farmers are welcoming new Government proposals to make farm health and safety rules more practical and grounded in real-world farming.
Missing fresh mozzarella cheese made at home in Bari, southern Italy, Massimo Lubisco and his wife Marina decided to bring a taste of home to New Zealand.
An A$2 billion bid for Fonterra's Oceania business would be great news, according to Forsyth Barr senior analyst, equities, Matt Montgomerie.
Irish meat processor Dawn Meats is set to acquire a 70% stake in Alliance Group, according to a report in The Irish Times.
