Visa changes bring fresh woes
Rural Contractors NZ says members are frustrated at having to work through more layers to get visas approved for skilled seasonal machinery operators ahead of the imminent season start. Andrew Olsen comments.
Agricultural contractors around the country must play their part in helping to prevent the spread of the invasive weed velvetleaf.
This is the message from Rural Contractors NZ (RCNZ) president Steve Levet.
Levet is reminding contractors about the importance of biosecurity and machinery hygiene practices on, and between farms, in controlling the spread velvetleaf and says rural contractors have an important role to play in this.
"Contractors need to be conscious of the potential of spreading velvetleaf when moving between properties, or between areas of the same property, and to take responsibility in managing these risks," he says.
Velvetleaf plant seeds can be spread by the movement of vehicles, machinery, feed or stock. It can also spread to new areas of the same property, between neighbouring properties, or even between regions.
Levet says by implementing some simple biosecurity practices rural contractors can help protect the spread of unwanted pest plants such as velvetleaf.
"Farmers and other professional operators in the rural sector like contractors need to pull together to help protect our agricultural sector from the spread of velvetleaf and other pests. I just want to remind rural contractors to stay vigilant and keep up sound biosecurity practices."
Levet says RCNZ has worked with national pest agencies to produce guidelines for machinery hygiene to prevent the spread of pests and weeds, which includes a hygiene logbook:
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
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Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
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