Potatoes New Zealand Celebrates Milestone Amid Grower Pressures
Potatoes New Zealand is reflecting on its legacy of innovation, resilience and a commitment to growers as it gets ready to mark its birthday on 17th April.
Horticulture NZ is praising the Government’s new $44b primary export plan.
The Government yesterday announced its Fit for a Better World plan aimed at boosting primary sector export earnings by $44 billion over the next decade.
Horticulture NZ (HortNZ) says the horticulture industry’s future-focused strategies align well with what is proposed in the plan.
“Horticulture is already well into the journey that has been identified and proposed in these reports, and this journey will continue,” says HortNZ President, Barry O’Neil.
New Zealand’s horticulture industry is now worth more than $6.39 billion annually, employing approximately 60,000 people.
“We are encouraged to see that the proposal identifies a key opportunity to accelerate the horticulture industry’s development, which fits perfectly with our own work.
“That said, we realise that growers and horticulture’s governance groups have not been part of the Primary Sector Council’s work on developing Fit for a Better World.
“As a result, over the next few months, we will be discussing with them the approach to implementation the horticulture industry can jointly take with government,” said O’Neil.
A verbal stoush has broken out between Federated Farmers and a new group that claims to be fighting against cheaper imports that undermine NZ farmers.
According to the latest ANZ Agri Focus report, energy-intensive and domestically-focused sectors currently bear the brunt of rising fuel, fertiliser and freight costs.
Having gone through a troublesome “divorce” from its association and part ownership of AGCO, Indian manufacturer TAFE is said to be determined to be seen as a modern business rather than just another tractor maker from the developing world.
Two long-standing New Zealand agricultural businesses are coming together to strengthen innovation, local manufacturing capability, and access to essential farm inputs for farmers across the country.
A new farmer-led programme aimed at bringing young people into dairy farming is under way in Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
The Government has announced changes to stock exclusion regulations which it claims will cut unnecessary costs and inflexible rules while maintaining environmental protections.

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