Drones, AI making cattle counting a dream
PGG Wrightson has launched a new stock-counting service using drones and Artificial Intelligence (AI), which it says removes all the hassle for farmers, while achieving 99.9% accuracy.
Former PGG Wrightson (PGW) chair Lee Joo Hai, who is fighting charges filed under Singapore securities legislation, is leaving the rural service company’s board.
Hai, who stepped down as chair earlier this month, won’t be seeking reelection at PGW’s annual shareholders meeting later this year.
A PGW filing with the New Zealand Stock Exchange last week said Hai was resigning “in order to eliminate the ongoing distraction caused due to media and market attention regarding the securities regulation matters that he is defending in Singapore”.
While Hai said he did not consider that those matters affected his capacity to remain a PGW director, he nevertheless felt that it was in the best interests of the company that he step down.
Hai has also stepped down from the PGW audit committee effective immediately; acting chair, U Kean Seng will join the audit committee.
On June 30, PGW announced that Hai had been charged in Singapore under certain Singaporean securities regulation in respect to potential lapses in relevant disclosures related to a Singaporean listed company, Hyflux Limited. Hai is a director of Hyflux. The PGW board decided the related investigations did not compromise the performance of Hai’s duties in relation to PGW and that he was to continue as board chair.
However, a week later the company announced that Hai was stepping aside as chair but will remain as a board member. It had determined that it would be “in the best interests of PGW for Seng to assume the role of acting chair while the investigations and charges relating to Hai remain ongoing”.
According to PGW’s website, Hai has been a director of the company since 2017 and chair since July last year. Hai was appointed an independent director of Agria Corporation in 2018. Agria, a global agricultural company, owns 44% of PGW.
Hauraki Coromandel farmer Keith Trembath was recently awarded the title of Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in recognition of his contributions to public service, agriculture, and education.
Horticulture New Zealand says the recent discovery of a male Oriental fruit fly in Auckland is concerning for New Zealand growers.
Danielle Hovmand has been announced as the 2024 recipient of the New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) Contiki Local Legend Award.
Over 1,000 Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers in the Hawke’s Bay have now been immunised against measles.
Open Farms is calling on farmers to sign up to host an open day event on their farm this year.
Steph Le Brocq and Sam Allen, a bride and groom-to-be, are among those set to face off in regional finals across New Zealand in the hopes of being named the Young Farmer of the Year.
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