MPI’s Diana Reaich: Building global trade relationships
Relationships are key to opening new trading opportunities and dealing with some of the rules that countries impose that impede the free flow of trade.
Thirteen research projects have received funding approvals totalling $3.1 million through MPI’s Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change (SLMACC) research programme.
SLMACC supports new climate change knowledge generation in the agriculture and forestry sectors for adaption, mitigation, and cross-cutting issues.
Ministry for Primary Industries Director General, Martyn Dunne says it's essential to invest in research to better understand our future operating environment and how we need to adapt.
“We set research priority topics each funding round based on themes areas we want to investigate further for the benefit of primary industries. We consult internal and external experts to determine those topics.”
This year there were 12 priority topic areas under the three themes:
impacts of climate change and adaptionmitigation of agricultural and forestry greenhouse gas (GHG) emissionscross-cutting issues, including economic analysis, life-cycle analysis, farm catchment systems analysis, and social impact.
“We received an extremely high calibre of applicants and were very impressed with the proposed research topics,” says Dunne.
“Each project will take up to three years to complete, and the findings will help researchers, government, and farmers better understand, adapt to and mitigate climate change effects in New Zealand's primary sectors.
“At each project's end, the full report will be made available on this website and the Climate Cloud website, and user friendly summaries will be made more widely available.”
Acclaimed fruit grower Dean Astill never imagined he would have achieved so much in the years since being named the first Young Horticulturist of the Year, 20 years ago.
The Ashburton-based Carrfields Group continues to show commitment to future growth and in the agricultural sector with its latest investment, the recently acquired 'Spring Farm' adjacent to State Highway 1, Winslow, just south of Ashburton.
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.

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