On the go
OPINION: After hopping from one event to another at Fieldays, Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard would have been hoping for a rest.
The new Coalition Government unveiled today will have several farmers holding associate minister roles outside Cabinet.
As expected, National’s Todd McClay is the new Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Trade. He will have a team of farmers assisting him in associate roles.
Former Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard is the Associate Minister of Agriculture overseeing animal welfare and skills and Associate Minister for the Environment. The first-term MP is also Minister for Biosecurity and Food Safety but will sit outside Cabinet.
Otago sheep and beef farmer Mark Patterson, NZ First, is Minister for Rural Communities and Associate Minister of Agriculture and will also sit outside Cabinet.
National’s Nicola Grigg, who was raised on the family farm at Mt Somers, is Associate Minister of Agriculture with a focus on horticulture. She’s also outside Cabinet and will be Minister of State for Trade and Minister for Women.
The three-part Coalition – made up of National, NZ First and ACT – announced their ministerial list today. Farmers will be watching with interest how the new Government deals with climate change on tackling on-farm emissions.
Prime Minister-elect Christpher Luxon says all the three leaders are committed to climate change.
"It is a major focus for us," he says.
He says the government is determined to get its "emission profiles" down but it will be different from the way the previous government did it.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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