Frontline biosecurity 'untouchable'
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard has reiterated that 'frontline' biosecurity services within Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will not be cut under the Government's plan to reduce the public service.
An encounter with a live scorpion at Auckland airport should serve as a reminder for arriving international passengers to thoroughly clean camping gear, says MPI.
An MPI biosecurity inspector recently found the 5cm scorpion inside a tent carried by an air passenger arriving from Mexico.
"It wasn't moving much, but it was clearly alive and capable of inflicting a sting," says Craig Hughes, MPI's Northern border clearance manager, passengers and mail.
"The passenger was clearly shocked and repeatedly asked our inspector whether there were any more scorpions in the tent. After further inspection, we were able to confirm there wasn't."
He says it is rare for biosecurity staff to find scorpions, but warns it is very easy for dangerous pests to crawl inside camping equipment.
"We keep an eye out for used camping items, but passengers can do their bit for New Zealand's biosecurity by cleaning their gear before they jump on a plane to visit or return home to New Zealand.
"An established scorpion population in New Zealand is the last thing the tourism industry and the public in general want to see here."
The scorpion has since been destroyed.
Rural trader PGG Wrightson has revised its operating earnings guidance, saying trading conditions have deteriorated since the last market update in February.
It's been a bumper season for maize and other supplements in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
Leading farmers from around New Zealand connected to share environmental stories and inspiration and build relationships at the Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) national forum in Wellington last month.
AgriZeroNZ, a joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for farmers, is pouring $5 million in a biotech company to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains.
Fonterra is teaming up with wealth app provider Sharesies to make it easier for its farmer shareholders to trade co-op shares among themselves.
Te Awamutu dairy farmers Doug, Penny, Josh and Bayley Storey have planted more than 25,000 native trees on the family farm, adding to a generations-old native forest.