increase font size
The Manawatu-Whanganui region has the largest number of sheep and beef cattle of any in New Zealand.
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy recently launched a new scheme to lift the productivity and profitability of sheep and beef farmers in Manawatu-Whanganui.
The Sheep and Beef Land Productivity Programme comes out of the recently released Manawatu-Whanganui Growth Study, which identified the sheep and beef sector as a key opportunity for the region.
“This region has the largest number of sheep and beef cattle of any in New Zealand, so improving the performance of these farms will be an economic boost,” says Guy.
“We know the top 20% of red meat farmers achieve returns about four times more than those of the average red meat farmer, irrespective of land class and location. This shows the potential on offer.
Guy says a regional working group has begun developing a draft programme structure, looking at how to support farmers to reach their goals and remove barriers to them doing so.
“It will inform and inspire farmers through practical initiatives that make sense and work on the ground,” he adds.
“Of course the Government can’t and shouldn’t do this on our own and this will require involvement and investment by farmers and stakeholders. So it’s great to see there is widespread support from regional leaders to get cracking.”
The recent East Coast Farming Expo, held over two days at Wairoa, offered an insight into the current state of agriculture on the east of the North Island, at a time when the locals are remembering the second anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle.
OPINION: At last, a serious effort to better connect farmers and scientists.
An initiative by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to connect farmers with scientists is taking off judging by the response at recent regional field days.
New Zealand's red meat sector is looking at exporting more than sheepmeat products to India when a comprehensive free trade agreement is secured between the two countries.
Scientists from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) are part of an international team working to develop a low-cost diagnostic tool that could significantly improve food crop production in developing countries.
At a gala evening held at Palmerston North in March, the sporting and rural communities came together to celebrate the Ford New Zealand Rural Sports Awards.
Assessing pasture cover has just been become easier, thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) has appointed Dr Scott Champion as its new chief executive.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has launched a powerful new tool to help commercial beef farmers select the best bulls for their farm businesses.
Air quality is a major safety issue for New Zealand, with approximately 650 deaths per year caused by cancer attributable to airborne contaminants.
Three weeks on from Bremworth’s board overhaul, the carpet maker’s chief executive Greg Smith is stepping down.
OPINION: In the same way that even a stopped clock is right twice a day, economists sometimes get it right.
OPINION: The proposed RMA reforms took a while to drop but were well signaled after the election.
