New associate director for DairyNZ
After 20 years of milking cows, Northland farmer Greg Collins is ready to step into the governance side of dairy.
With the Government intent on strangling farmers with unachievable emissions targets, abetted by the ‘suits’ at industry-good bodies, we hear a timely reminder from a scientist.
In an NZME column, Dr Jacqueline Rowarth said, “New Zealanders need to accept that [proposals for] greenhouse gas reduction will negatively affect the economy and their lifestyles”.
She says vital words from the Paris Agreement on climate change are now being lost amidst the calculations, targets and policies forming the emissions debate and NZ’s response.
Namely the proposals should not threaten food production”. “Federated Farmers has tried to remind people of this point.”
Rural News recently underlined this in pointing the finger at the “quislings” at levy funded groups DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ who some believe are not pushing back hard enough on this issue. “Both industry groups are advocating emission reductions far greater than current technologies can attain.”
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.