New pasture guide launched to support farmers in a changing climate
A new publication has been launched that offers a comprehensive and up-to-date resource on commercially available grazing pasture species in New Zealand.
Teachers have welcomed a move by the Government to put money into supporting secondary school agricultural and horticultural science and to get more students into a career in the ag and hort sectors.
Last week, Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor announced funding of $1.6 million over five years, through MPI, to fund the initiative. He says the aim is to build resilience and meet future workforce demand as the sector grows.
"Our food and fibre sector is nothing if we don't have good, educated and enthusiastic people. We're backing the development of a nationwide advisory team to provide support to agricultural and horticultural science teachers, create resources and provide important links to local food and fibre sector partners."
O'Connor says there are 126 schools across the country teaching agricultural and horticultural science and the aim is to increase this number, especially in urban areas. He says the funding will provide for one full-time adviser and a support person plus up to 16 part-time regionally-based advisers.
The initiative came as a result of a proposal put to MPI by St Paul Collegiate, near Hamilton, which is a leader in teaching agribusiness, horticulture and agricultural science.
Kerry Allen, who runs the school's successful agribusiness programme and has been involved in other initiatives to raise the bar in teaching agriculture subjects in schools, played a leading role in putting this proposal together.
She says the money will go towards upskilling teachers and getting resources out to schools to help them understand new standards that are coming through, and provide general support to ag and hort teachers.
"Often ag and hort teachers are the sole charge people in their school and there is no other internal support for the subject, unlike maths which might have fifteen teachers," Allen told Rural News. "Ag and hort teachers have unique challenges because they need a lot of physical resources - such as glasshouses, farms, orchards and garden plots to maintain."
She sayswhile they cannot necessarily be helped physically, they can be given tricks and tips, better ideas professional development.
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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