When it comes time to hang up the gumboots
With the average age of New Zealand farmers pushing 60, and land values on a steady increase, it’s no surprise succession planning is currently top-of-mind for the agricultural industry.
Deceased farming family members could be buried on privately owned farm land in the near future, if the Government implements recommendations made by the Law Commission.
The commission last week reviewed the Burial and Cremation Act.
The report recommends substantial changes to New Zealand's burial and cremation laws to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse society.
The commissioner who led the review, Wayne Mapp, said it was recommending that owners of private rural properties be able to apply to their local council for burial on their land.
Mapp said councils should be required to consider the applications and would have the power to decline if it appeared the owners or managers of the farm were unable to maintain the land for a long time.
He said if the land was on-sold, an arrangement would need to be made for the family to visit the grave site.
"You'd expect them to have that ability. The site itself would have to be noted in the title and you'd expect people would be able to visit it."
The Government has six months to respond to the review, which also recommends modernising how deaths are certified and making it easier to open privately run crematoria.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
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