'Gold Standard' live export plan
Live Export NZ (LENZ), the industry group behind reinstating live exports, says that in 2020 New Zealand exported $255.89 million of live cattle to the rest of the world.
Australia's largest live sheep exporter, Emanuel Exports, has had its licence reinstated after a three-year suspension.
The company's licence was cancelled following the deaths of 2,400 sheep aboard the Awassi Express in 2017.
The incident also led to a temporary ban on live sheep exports to the Middle East and prompted an ongoing ban on exports during the northern hemisphere.
The Department of Agriculture and Water gave the green light for exports to resume from December 3, it says the company had now "sufficiently rehabilitated itself so as to resume its status as a body corporate of integrity".
The department also says it had since strengthened regulations by implementing a ban on export shipping to the Middle East during the hottest part of the northern hemisphere summer.
It also required heat stress management plans for northern summer voyages, lowered stockig densities for sheep on livestock export vessels, and required automatic measurement and collection of on-deck temperature readings for voyages.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.