New Rural Recycling Scheme to Replace Voluntary Farm Plastics Programmes by 2027
Environment Minister Nicola Grigg has announced details of a new rural plastics recycling scheme.
Lincoln University have appointed Dr Alan Renwick as Professor of Agricultural Economics, to further strengthen their teaching and research in this area.
Renwick is currently domiciled in Dublin, Ireland, where he is Professor of Agricultural and Food Economics at University College Dublin (UCD). He will join the Lincoln University team later this year.
“Dr Renwick has exactly the background we need to further strengthen Lincoln’s teaching and research in agricultural economics, and I am personally delighted with the appointment,” says Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Scholarship and Research, Stefanie Rixecker.
“Alan spent many years at the University of Cambridge in the Department of Land Economy, before heading the Scottish Agricultural College’s Land Economy and Environmental Research team.”
“We have managed to secure his skills from his current role in agricultural and food economics at UCD, where he is teaching into their BSc in Food and Agribusiness Management, and their Master’s in Food Business Strategy, as well as supervising research students and undertaking his own research in this field. His background will complement the team within Lincoln in an area that is key to this University, and to New Zealand as a whole.”
The role of Professor of Agricultural Economics sits within Lincoln University’s Faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce. This year the faculty has announced the appointment of Crawford Falconer of the OECD to the Sir Graeme Harrison Professorial Chair in Global Value Chains and Trade, and will see the appointment of another two professors over the coming months.
“Lincoln University has been through a period of remarkable change in the last couple of years,” says Dean of the Faculty of Agribusiness and Commerce, Professor Hugh Bigsby.
“The appointment of Dr Renwick to this senior academic role signals another step-change in the development of our core areas of expertise. The role is one of four senior positions to be appointed this year.”
The Professor of Agricultural Economics will support Lincoln’s new Bachelor of Commerce (Food and Resource Economics) and research Masters’ and PhD supervision in the field of agricultural economics, as well as supporting the faculty’s agribusiness research and teaching more generally.
“I am looking forward to joining what is already a world-renowned university with a well-established reputation with the agricultural sector in New Zealand, and helping to build this reputation in the area of agricultural and food economics through my own research, presentations, publications and commentary. It is a very exciting time to be heading to New Zealand and joining the Lincoln University team,” says Renwick.
Renwick will also play a role in OneFarm - Centre of Excellence in Farm Business Management, a joint research centre with Massey University and will work closely with the University’s Agribusiness & Economics Research Unit (AERU).
LIC shareholders have elected a new North Island representative to the co-operative's Board, along with five representatives to its Shareholder Reference Group (SRG), following the company's Annual Meeting held in Invercargill.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
For Canterbury dairy farmers Sian Meijer and Rick Wobben, wearable technology has become one of their most valuable on-farm tools - helping manage 1850 cows across an expansive, high-performing dairy operation while improving efficiency, mating outcomes and day-to-day decision making.
Fonterra has unveiled its annual results for the 2026 financial year, posting $27 billion in revenue and close to $20 billion returned to New Zealand farmer owners and unit holders.
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.

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