Farmers oppose work visa changes
Farmers are crying foul over changes announced by the Government this week to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme.
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.”
Rural trader PGG Wrightson has revised its operating earnings guidance, saying trading conditions have deteriorated since the last market update in February.
It's been a bumper season for maize and other supplements in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
Leading farmers from around New Zealand connected to share environmental stories and inspiration and build relationships at the Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) national forum in Wellington last month.
AgriZeroNZ, a joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for farmers, is pouring $5 million in a biotech company to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains.
Fonterra is teaming up with wealth app provider Sharesies to make it easier for its farmer shareholders to trade co-op shares among themselves.
Te Awamutu dairy farmers Doug, Penny, Josh and Bayley Storey have planted more than 25,000 native trees on the family farm, adding to a generations-old native forest.