Corn makes Christmas hit
Gisborne's record hot dry summer weather has produced rewards for one of the country's largest commercial growers based in the region - Leaderbrand.
The humble broccoli, a NZ family favourite, is currently being thrown away in staggering amounts.
It appears that New Zealanders are mimicking the infamous stance of former US president George H W Bush, during his tenure as the 41st president.
Bush frequently mentioned his distaste for broccoli, famously saying: "I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid. Now I'm president of the United States, I'm not gonna eat any more broccoli!"
Each year, more than 282 tonnes of broccoli stems are being added to this country's household landfill waste.
LeaderBrand's Richard Burke, a large grower of broccoli, says that this is a staggering amount of waste and a huge waste of money.
"It might come as a surprise, but broccoli stalks are edible and they taste great," he says. "A third of us (37%) are throwing them away! It's such a waste."
Food scraps make up almost half the weight of the average Auckland household's rubbish. Recently, new figures came out that indicate New Zealanders throw out more than $3 billion worth of food each year - more than $1,500 per household per year.
Burke says all the talk about the increase in the cost of living could be helped if people made a few simple changes. He suggests buying in-season produce or not throwing away edible parts of veggies, would see people get better value out of fresh produce.
"Eating every part of the vegetable that you've bought makes financial sense," he adds. "Why not try maximising every inch of this nutrition powerhouse to make meals go further. It tastes great, adds texture to your meal, plus, you'll also be helping the environment."
5 + A Day - a charitable trust committed to increasing the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables for better health in all New Zealanders - trustee and principal scientist and team leader at Plant and Food Research, Dr Carolyn Lister says broccoli stems are just as important as the head, or floret of the plant.
"Broccoli stems and florets are an excellent source of nutrition, they're an important part of a healthy diet to support your wellbeing in the winter months," she says.
"The stems and the florets provide valuable nutrients such as vitamin C, which supports immunity, and folate which helps the body form red blood cells, plus they're a great source of dietary fibre which keeps you feeling full for longer."
Farmers appear to be backing the Government's recent Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms announcement.
For the first time, all the big names in agricultural drone technology are being brought together under one marquee at the National Fieldays.
Fonterra has announced an improved third quarter performance – with a profit after tax of $1.15 billion, up $119 million on the same period last year.
The Fieldays Innovation Awards competition has attracted a diverse and impressive array of innovations from across the primary industries, highlighting the growing importance of technology shaping the future of farming.
Coming to the fore following the carnage of Cyclone Gabrielle, Starlink became well known for providing internet access even in NZ's most inaccessible places.
From this winter farmers will have a greater choice of feed types and blend options than ever before, thanks to Farmlands' purchase of animal nutrition company SealesWinslow.
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