Meat Industry Association CEO to Step Down
The Meat Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA) today announced that Chief Executive Officer Sirma Karapeeva has resigned from the role.
A total of $8.8 million has been awarded to 42 projects around the country after the latest round of the Sustainable Farming Fund, Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy says.
"These projects are driven from the grassroots and will help to improve economic and environmental performance. This co-funding will make a real difference to rural communities.
"Some of these projects include improving nutrient management, promoting pasture persistence, biological controls for pests, developing aquaculture, improving deer farm environmental management, and planning for collaborative water management.
"This includes 14 projects that have received funding from a special round that was run for Maori agribusiness late last year. Maori freehold land has enormous potential and some of these projects will help to realise the $8 billion in potential gains, as highlighted in a recent report by KPMG.
"Each project involves local groups and businesses who co-fund the work as well as running the project and bringing in the required expertise. Experience has shown this approach works and provides good value," he says.
The projects approved in the main funding round will commence July 1,2013 and run for one to three years. Most of the Maori agribusiness projects have already started, with the remaining three to commence on July 1, 2013.
The Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) annual meeting held in Timaru today saw directors' fees raised and the appointment of KPMG as an auditor for the levy body.
A new Westpac NZ community banking van begins making visits around Northland this week.
New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is sharing guidance to prevent people from contracting listeriosis, a rare yet life-threatening foodborne illness.
As cost-of-living pressures continue to bite Kiwi households, the Fruit in Schools (FIS) programme is helping fuel learning and improve the health and wellbeing of 127,000 children and staff.
OPINION: Public opinion, political pragmatism and commercial and market reality have caused the Government to abandon introducing legislation into Parliament to legalise the shipment by sea of live animals - mainly cows - to overseas destinations.
Safer Farms has welcomed its first three regional champions that will be taking the Farm Without Harm message directly into their rural communities.

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