Mayors give government plan to ease seasonal worker shortage
Hastings District Council has given the government a plan to address the seasonal labour shortage faced by the horticulture and viticulture sectors due to Covid-19.
THIS YEAR the Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers' Association celebrates the 10th anniversary of the "Young Fruitgrower of the Year Competition" to be held at the National Horticultural Field Day on Thursday, June 5.
The competition has grown from its early days of a local event at Pernel Orchard to a nationally recognised competition.
The Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers Association initiative is designed to promote the high calibre of skilled young people working in the industry. The overall winner is required to showcase a range of industry, leadership and presentation skills to take out the overall title.
During the National Horticultural Field day, the competitors must demonstrate practical and theory skills as they work through a number of industry sponsored testing stations. At midday, for a little light relief there is a 'horti-sports' section where competitors are challenged to some more quirky tasks.
The competition concludes with an formal dinner on Friday night on June 6, following the National Horticultural Field Days where contestants participate in a quiz and then present to the audience on a given industry subject.
The Young Fruitgrower Competition is open to all people currently involved the fruit industry who are under 30 years of age. The title is hotly contested with winners often returning to attempt to retain their title two years running and many competitors coming back for more.
The calibre of the contestants is extremely high which makes for a keenly contested competition. The winner of the competition will go on to represent our region at the sector final for the "New Zealand Young Grower of the Year' competition.
Applications are now open for the 2014 competition.
A company growing and processing seaweed with known methane-busting properties at a facility in Bluff is expanding internationally but New Zealand cattle farmers won't be getting the product anytime soon.
Through its new partnership with New Zealand Landcare Trust, Fonterra has committed to funding ten $25,000 grants for wetland restoration in communities across the country.
The chair of the Dairy Environmental Leaders (DEL) says the country's dairy farmers are at the forefront of environmental management.
On the edge of the hot, dry Takapau plains, Norm and Del Atkins have cultivated a small but exceptional herd of 60 Holstein Friesian cows within their mixed breed herd of 360 dairy cows.
The DairyNZ board and management are currently trying to determine whether, and to what degree, their farmer levy payers will support any increase in their levy contributions.
Milk production is up nationally, despite drought conditions beginning to bite in some districts, according to the latest update from Fonterra.
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