M.I.A.
OPINION: The previous government spent too much during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite warnings from officials, according to a briefing released by the Treasury.
Beef+Lamb NZ chairman Andrew Morrison says the decision to postpone the awards dinner was made in consultation with sponsors, finalists and other stakeholders.
Beef + LambNZ's (BLNZ) awards dinner scheduled for Wednesday 2 February is postponed due to the arrival in the community of the Covid variant Omicron.
About 300 people had booked to attend the event designed to celebrate achievements in the red meat sector. It is just one of a number of events that have been postponed or cancelled or are being held virtually due to Covid.
BLNZ chairman Andrew Morrison says the difficult decision was made in consultation with sponsors, finalists and other stakeholders. He says they took into account a number of factors including the need to limit the number of those attending the Awards Dinner to 100, uncertainty about the extent of Omicron outbreak and the need to minimise the risk of transmission of Covid-19 in the red meat sector.
“So many people were looking forward to the evening to hear the announcement of the winners of the eight award categories and to celebrate our world-leading red meat industry, but ultimately the health and well-being of our finalists and all those attending must be our primary consideration,” he says.
Andrew Morrison says the organisation was looking at a number of options in which the industry could come together to recognise the finalists and celebrate the winners in the near future and will be communicating its decision as soon as possible
“We’re not normal.” That’s how Jack Walters, executive director of Pungent Pukeko, describes his gin brand, which has just won gold at the World Gin Awards.
Dr Tim Harwood, a seafood food safety research leader, has been awarded the 2026 Significant Contribution Award at the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) Food Industry Awards.
Today marks the first day of operations for Waikato Waters, a new council-controlled organisation established by six district councils to deliver water and wastewater services for their communities.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has announced has opened applications for the 2026/27 funding round of the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Research (GHGIR) fund.
New Zealand’s vegetable sector will take centre stage at Parliament today, celebrating a vital industry and sharing a clear, future focused vision for how it can continue to thrive.
New Zealand red meat exports reached a second consecutive monthly record in May, rising to $1.6 billion, according to the Meat Industry Association.

OPINION: Central Hawke's Bay farmer Mark Warren recently told the Hawke's Bay Times it's time for a conversation about allowing…
OPINION: A nation that relies as heavily as NZ does on functional global shipping lanes will have to do its…