Damien O’Connor: NZ united on global trade
When it comes to international trade, politicians from all sides of the aisle are united, says Labour's trade spokesman Damien O'Connor.
Minister for Agriculture Damien O'Connor said the awards provide an opportunity to celebrate and thank primary sector employers.
Exceptional employment practices in the primary industries were celebrated at last night’s Good Employer Awards held at Parliament.
The awards, sponsored by the Ministry for Primary Industries and the Agricultural Marketing Research and Development Trust (ADMARDT) featured finalists from a range of enterprises, including Māori agribusiness, forestry and veterinary services.
Minister for Agriculture Damien O’Connor said the awards provided an opportunity to celebrate and thank primary sector employers who had gone above and beyond to create productive, safe, supportive and healthy work environments.
“The past 12 or so months have been tough. I have been particularly impressed with how many of finalists have said they used Covid-19 to look at how they were working and make changes that benefited them and their employees,” O’Connor said.
“It’s clear that everyone who has entered the Good Employer Awards is leading the way in best practice. When we do this collectively, we show out urban cousins that rural communities are vibrant and inclusive places to work, live, and grow in.” he said.
Winners
Māori Agribusiness - Chubby Rewi, Rewi Haulage Limited and East Coast Log Haulage Limited
Employee Development - Adam Hittman, Vetora Waikato
Safe & Healthy - Zac Robinson and Barry Wells, Port Blakely
Supreme - Anna Pule, Rayonier Matariki Forests
Three New Zealand agritech companies are set to join forces to help unlock the full potential of technology.
As the sector heads into the traditional peak period for injuries and fatalities, farmers are being urged to "take a moment".
Federated Farmers says almost 2000 farmers have signed a petition launched this month to urge the Government to step in and provide certainty while the badly broken resource consent system is fixed.
Zespri’s counter-seasonal Zespri Global Supply (ZGS) programme is underway with approximately 33 million trays, or 118,800 tonnes, expected this year from orchards throughout France, Italy, Greece, Korea, and Japan.
Animal owners can help protect life-saving antibiotics from resistant bacteria by keeping their animals healthy, says the New Zealand Veterinary Association.
According to analysis by the Meat Industry Association (MIA), New Zealand red meat exports reached $827 million in October, a 27% increase on the same period last year.

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