MPI cuts 391 jobs
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has informed staff it will cut 391 jobs following a consultation period.
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.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.