RWNZ chief executive to step down
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) chief executive Gabrielle O’Brien will step down at the end of June.
Beef and dairy bull sales across the North Island are able to continue thanks to an innovative hybrid auction platform released during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
NZ Farmers Livestock general manager, Bill Sweeney says the MyLivestock hybrid auction platform, which combines saleyard, farm and online auctions, was developed ahead of last year’s lockdown.
“Providing an online option for farmers to attend and bid at stock sales was a concept we’d been developing for some time. Traditionally farmers are often faced with a day’s travel to attend a sale and the demands of farming often make this very difficult. We wanted to give them options – of either attending a sale or attending any sale in New Zealand on their mobile or home computer.
“Fortuitously, it was ready to launch when the 2020 Covid lockdown was announced - for the first time farmers were able to choose whether to physically or virtually attend a stock sale.
“The ability to ‘virtually’ attend a stock sale opened the country up – farmers were suddenly able to bid at any sale around New Zealand without leaving the farm and they could confidently bid in real time knowing transport and NAIT requirements would be attended to, and the stock would duly arrive on farm. It was a whole new environment and one which farmers embraced.”
The online option didn’t replace physically attending sales however.
“Stock sales have an important social function in rural communities – especially in tough times – and so, throughout Levels 3 and 2 in 2020, we continued to have a good number of farmers attend our sales under strict Covid guidelines.”
Sweeney said the hybrid auction platform will, once again, bolster the beef and dairy industries during the current Covid restrictions.
NZ Farmers Livestock’s 2021 Spring bull sale calendar is one of the largest ever.
“We have a record number of bulls coming forward at 30 sales across the North Island – all of which will continue under Level 3 and 2.”
Around 1000 mainly yearling Jersey, Hereford and Angus bulls will go under the hammer at sales during September and October, in the main on the respective breeder’s farm.
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
World Veterinary Day falls on Saturday 27 April.
The Director General of MPI, Ray Smith says it's important for his department to celebrate the success of a whole range of groups and people around the country.
A small company which mobilised veterinarians around the country to deal with Mycoplasma bovis was one of the winners in this year's Biosecurity Awards, held at Parliament.
One of the country's top Māori sheep and beef farms is facing a five-year battle to get back to where it was before Cyclone Gabrielle struck just over 14 months ago.
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