Biosecurity tops priorities for agribusiness leaders - report
Biosecurity remains the top priority for agribusiness leaders, according to KPMG’s 2025 Agribusiness Agenda released last week.
HORTICULTURE NEW ZEALAND believes this country's ability to control regional biosecurity risk is woeful and there are few signs of any willingness to improve.
"We have no real appreciation of the importance of controlling the movement of pest and disease between different parts of the country," HortNZ chief executive Peter Silcock says.
"This is an area of biosecurity we could do a much better job on, instead of leaving it up to chance and collectively crossing our fingers.
"Most pests around the world are not spread naturally. It takes humans to move them from place to place."
The Department of Conservation has called on the residents of Nelson to check their caravans and trailers for Great White Butterfly pupae before they leave the district on holiday this year.
They are warning residents they could inadvertently spread the pest, which DoC has been working hard to eradicate from Nelson. The pest is a major threat to commercial crops and native plants.
Meanwhile the kiwifruit industry is still trying to work out how the deadly kiwifruit disease Psa spread out of the Bay of Plenty into Wanganui. There was no plant material or machinery movement.
"This is such a common story for horticulture, and the fact is, it affects every home gardener as well," says Silcock.
"We have little or no national co-ordination of vigilance around movement of pest and disease within New Zealand."
Horticulture is impressed with DoC's efforts to try to keep this story in front of people.
"This is a worthy attempt to draw attention to the very real possibility that this pest could be easily moved to another part of the country, tucked up in someone's beach umbrella or picnic table."
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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