Drug survey
OPINION: New national data from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), a leading workplace drug tester, shows methamphetamine (meth) use is growing and making up a disproportionate share of nonnegative workplace drug test results.
Labour's Primary Industries spokesman Damien O’Connor claims there’s been a lot of misunderstanding about what is or is not in the Health and Safety Reform Bill and says that’s no one’s fault.
O’Connor is not a member of the transport and industrial select committee which is dealing with the bill, but he’s well aware of the issues and the feeling in rural communities. He’s been approached by farmers upset at some of the provisions in the bill as it stands.
“Farmers are certainly concerned without knowing the actual details, so there has been a lot of hype around this,” O’Connor told Rural News.
“The question of not being able to put another person on a quad has been the centre of debate and there will no doubt be many other things regarding processes – such as dealing with visitors to farms – that are of concern.”
O’Connor says when issues like this are debated, often extreme positions are taken and he hopes what the select committee arrives at, and the government delivers, is workable for farmers and also reduces the accident rate on farms.
He says he’d like to see lead agencies such as Federated Farmers working harder to get the truth out about the legislation, rather than getting involved in political spin to reverse some of the changes.
O’Connor says while the forestry industry is entirely focused on health and safety, he believes the farming industry is still in denial in some areas and is trying to come to terms with regulations that might be difficult to implement
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.
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