Double standards
OPINION: Imagine if the Hound had called the Minister of Finance the 'c-word' and accused her of "girl math".
It wouldn't be speaking out of turn to call the Toyota Hi-Lux New Zealand's favourite ute.
Rural News' irreverent and hypothetical look at what's happening in the farming world.
Horticulture in New Zealand is the little brother to the major powers of the dairy, meat, forestry and wine sectors.
Asparagus on supermarket shelves usually points to summer being just around the corner
There's no doubt 2015 has been a tough year for those of us in the agricultural contracting sector.
The 'businessman' who threatened the NZ dairy industry with 1080 contamination in baby formula if use of the pest-killing poison wasn't terminated apparently intended to gain economic advantage for a product of his own.
'Grossly irresponsible' is how New Zealand's special agricultural trade envoy Mike Petersen has rightly described animal rights group SAFE's placement of an anti-NZ dairy farming ad in a British newspaper.
A mate of the Hound reckons Fonterra's Shareholder Council has proven it's nothing more than a lapdog of the Fonterra board rather than a watchdog for the co-op's farmer shareholders.
Meantime, speaking of actual animal welfare issues... the Hound was tickled by the name of a new drug recently released in Australia that aims to relieve the pain lambs suffer during castration and tail docking.
This old mutt has always thought of the extremist group SAFE's top man Hans Kriek as pretty weird – and not just because of his crazy views on animals or his strange 'Dr Evil' accent.
More...
Your old mate reckons the self-professed friend of bobby calves – the Dutchman who wants to single-handedly destroy NZ's dairy industry, Hans Kriek...
People living on farms or lifestyle blocks are advised to check all buildings and other structures on their property to make sure any hazardous substances are stored safely and securely.
This year will likely be the hottest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has praised farmers' preparations for this summer's El Nino climate pattern, as it shapes up to be one of the strongest on record.
The Hound
Debt monster
OPINION: It's good news that Finance Minister Nicola Willis has slashed $1.1 billion from new spending, citing "a seismic global…
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