Federated Farmers hails rural banking report
Federated Farmers says the final report into banking competition is a significant step forward for rural New Zealand - and a vindication of the farming sector's concern.
Federated Farmers is putting up two helicopters today to check on farmers isolated by the earthquake.
Katie Milne, a Feds Board member who is helping to coordinate assistance to farmers in areas hit by the quake, says they have not heard from some farmers, but she suspects telecommunications are out and road access cut.
The Feds are coordinating the response of which DairyNZ, Beef+Lamb NZ and others are a part of.
Milne says many hill country farmers are very resourceful and are used to being isolated from time to time. Some have their own helicopters and aircraft. Milne says she suspects many homes and farming infrastructure have been badly damaged, but says on some farms there will be a number of houses and that may help the situation.
Power and fuel will be big issues for farmers and hence the need to get roads cleared as soon as possible.
Milne says once they know the farmers’ needs, they can start matching that with the necessary resources. But at this stage farmers with damage to their properties will need people who are qualified or capable of carrying out that work without supervision.
Well-meaning people who can’t do the necessary work will cause more problems for farmers, she says.
Milne says they want to get an accurate picture of the devastation before the ‘ugly weather’ comes in today and tomorrow.
Fonterra has unveiled the first refrigerated electric truck to deliver dairy products across Auckland.
Research and healthcare initiatives, leadership and dedication to the sector have been recognised in the 2025 Horticulture Industry Awards.
Virtual fencing and pasture management company Halter says its NZ operations has delivered a profit of $2.8 million after exclusion of notional items.
Manuka honey trader Comvita slumped to a $104 million net loss last financial year, reflecting prolonged market disruption, oversupply and pricing volatility.
The Government has struck a deal with New Zealand's poultry industry, agreeing how they will jointly prepare for and respond to exotic poultry diseases, including any possible outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI).
The conversion of productive farmland into trees has pretty much annihilated the wool industry.