Bridging the gap with rural New Zealand
OPINION: One thing I keep hearing from rural New Zealanders is the importance of relationships. Strong relationships don’t just happen - they take trust, consistency, and time.
Horticulture NZ is one of the primary sector parties involved in the industry-wide initiative He Waka Eke Noa, to provide government with an alternative option to the ETS in dealing with on farm orchard/greenhouse gas emissions.
Hort NZ chair Barry O'Neil says the issue is much simpler for growers because they don't have to worry about methane - only nitrous oxide, which comes from fertiliser. He says growers can understand why pastoral farmers favour a pricing mechanism based at the farm level.
"What we really want as growers is a low-cost emissions administration system," he told Hort News.
"We don't want to have to fund significant administration costs because we are just simple users of fertilisers. There were some ridiculous figures bandied around, ranging $60 million to $100 million to administer it," O'Neil explains.
"That is just crazy. We believe that our farm assurance plans, which we already have in place, such a NZGAP, should be the vehiclue used to meet this requirementand other regulatory requirements. There is no need to reinvent the wheel."
O'Neil wants the horticulture sector to focus on those really big issues that are needed for future success - such as climate change. He says with more floods and droughts occurring on a more regular basis, there needs to be a focus on things such as water storage and resilience and covered crop growing to mitigate risk.
"I think we are getting dragged down and spending time on issues that I don't see are as important for the future benefit and success of our future," he says.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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