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.
"I've still got my trainer wheels on".
That's how Nicola Grigg is describing her first weeks back in Parliament after six months maternity leave and now looking after her new baby in the precincts of Parliament.
She says it's funny being both a new mum and a new minister at the same time, but says she's very lucky having a great support team around her which helps her cope.
"I've got my baby up here and my office looks like a crèche. I have a really good nanny and his dad comes up sometimes as well, so this is the new norm for me," she says.
In many ways Grigg is making history. It's 40 years since a National MP has had a baby while in government and that was Ruth Richardson back in 1983.
"You have to make things work, because we want female representation in Parliament and so in some ways I am something of a crash test dummy.
"If I can succeed in being a good mum, minister and local MP, that should motivate other women to do the same," she says.
Southland crop farmer Mark Dillon took out his fifth New Zealand conventional ploughing title at the NZ Ploughing Championships held over the weekend at Methven.
Ensure your insurance is fully comprehensive and up to date because as a rural contractor you don’t know what’s around the corner.
Waikato farmer Walt Cavendish has stepped down as the spokesman for a controversial farming lobby seeking greater protection for New Zealand farmers against inferior imports.
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.

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