Editorial: Agri's mojo is back
OPINION: Good times are coming back for the primary industries. From sentiment expressed at Fieldays to the latest rural confidence survey results, all indicate farmer confidence at a near-record high.
A big crowd of 28,058 turned up to the first day of the NZ National Agricultural Fieldays' 48th year yesterday.
Fieldays was officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Bill English, along with Te Radar and New Zealand National Fieldays Society chief executive, Peter Nation.
"Fieldays aims to bring town and country together, and this is the real foundation for growth in the industry. When you provide a platform for so many different perspectives to come together to achieve a common goal, that's the true meaning of collaboration, and we're proud to facilitate this over these four days." says Nation.
Visitors also had the chance to get to know the Rural Bachelors and saw them complete the first two on-site challenges, including a quiz, and the much anticipated blind dates.
Although most of the Bachelors didn't score very well in the Blind Date Challenge, it looks like love could be on the horizon for a few of them.
The audience's favourite answer in the quiz came from Tasmanian Peter Damen, who when asked what the biggest pest-protected mountain in New Zealand was, answered "Mount Teriyaki".
The two Australian Bachelors, Peter and Rob Ewing, then treated the audience to an impromptu musical performance of Waltzing Matilda.
Cambridge foodies Belinda MacDonald and Neena Truscott joined us in the Kiwi's Best Kitchen Theatre. They delighted visitors with their innovative, healthy recipes and talked about their new book, (which is yet to be named) is set to be released in October.
The pair want to teach everyone to look at food in a different way. "It's not like we're being wacky or radical, this stuff used to be done."
The Careers and Education Hub was opened by Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Steven Joyce, alongside Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy. They both emphasised the importance of educating students on the different career opportunities within the agriculture industry.
Innovation and education are two founding pillars of Fieldays, and the Careers and Education Hub gives young people a chance to talk to leading agribusinesses.
"If you take the opportunity to get involved with the Careers and Education Hub today, you will learn many things that we hope will encourage you to think strategically about a career in the primary sector," says Guy.
A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.
Funding is proving crucial for predator control despite a broken model reliant on the goodwill of volunteers.
A major milestone on New Zealand's unique journey to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis could come before the end of this year.
We're working through it, and we'll get to it.
The debate around New Zealand's future in the Paris Agreement is heating up.
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.