Editorial: Support, don't stifle farmers
OPINION: Ministry for Primary Industries' situation outlook for primary industries report (SOPI) makes impressive reading.
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
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.