Conveyance Allowance Increase Welcomed by Rural Women
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) and Federated Farmers say they welcome the announcement last week that the Government will increase the conveyance allowance by 30%.
Guy Wrigley, Federated Farmers arable industry chairman, said the prospect of plant-based protein foods should not be cause for alarm.
A new survey reveals alternative proteins are both an opportunity and a threat to New Zealand.
For example, he says in Canterbury where land is suitable for red meat, dairy or arable production, alternative protein sources could easily fit into the farming mosaic.
“But in the meantime, we also have a very strong alliance with traditional protein sources that remain in demand, namely dairy, poultry and pork, which all rely on the arable sector for grain supplies.”
Beef + Lamb NZ special trade envoy and meat farmer Mike Petersen said he also sees in the alternative protein market as many opportunities as threats.
Bayleys national country manager Duncan Ross said the rise of alternative proteins should not worry farmers, but instead prompt them to consider getting other income as a result of those opportunities.
“Ultimately it is all about protein sources, and we may even see land that was once used for dairying or beef head into crop production for these products,” he says.
“[That could be] without necessarily suffering any loss in capital value or income reduction; in fact the opposite may be true in the long term as demand increases for these products.”
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North Otago farmer Leilani Lobb has been named the 2026 Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) Regional Leader of the Year.
There's optimism emerging among farmers on the Chatham Islands after years of an irregular and poor shipping service.
Bay of Plenty leader and General Manager of Te Tawa Kaiti Lands Trust, Hinehou Timutimu, has been announced as the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
A large-scale modern orchard development in coastal Mid-Canterbury is expected to eventually produce 116 million apples a year from 900,000 trees while also becoming a significant employer for the region.
Silver Fern Farms has announced a major capital investment valued at over $100 million to redevelop freezing, cold storage, and automation facilities at its Finegand Site near Balclutha.

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