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
The Government is set to announce two new acts to replace the contentious Resource Management Act (RMA) with the Prime Minister hinting that consents required by farmers could reduce by 46%.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change would be “a really dumb move”.
The University of Waikato has broken ground on its new medical school building.
Undoubtedly the doyen of rural culture, always with a wry smile, our favourite ginger ninja, Te Radar, in conjunction with his wife Ruth Spencer, has recently released an enchanting, yet educational read centred around rural New Zealand in one hundred objects.
Farmers are being urged to keep on top of measures to control Cysticerus ovis - or sheep measles - following a spike in infection rates.
The avocado industry is facing an extremely challenging season with all parts of the supply chain, especially growers, being warned to prepare for any eventuality.

OPINION: Your old mate welcomes the proposed changes to local government but notes it drew responses that ranged from the reasonable…
OPINION: A press release from the oxygen thieves running the hot air symposium on climate change, known as COP30, grabbed your…