Govt mandates wool carpets, boosting farmers and manufacturers
Farmers and wool carpet manufacturers are welcoming a Government decision to use wool fibre products in the construction and refurbishment of state buildings.
Federated Farmers has re-elected the heads of its dairy and meat and fibre groups for another term.
Jeanette Maxwell (Meat & Fibre) and Willy Leferink (Dairy) were re-elected at the Feds' annual conference in Auckland. Both industry groups have also elected their new executives for 2012-13.
"I am honoured to be given a second year to take our Fonterra members beyond TAF. I want to ensure independents and those who supply Tatua, Synlait, Westland and Open Country Cheese are properly represented," says Leferink.
He says the dairy council appreciates the hard work invested by retiring members, especially vice-chair Robin Barkla and Kevin Robinson.
"The Dairy Council will express this separately, but our best wishes are with Michelle Riley for a full recovery."
New executive member Derek Gibson can share his positive experiences with Taranaki Regional Council while Gray Beagley offers an organic dairy farming perspective, he says.
"We have an excellent team I look forward to working with."
Leferink concluded.
Maxwell says her first year was spent listening and talking. But she plans to get meat & fibre moving this year.
"I'd like to thank my retiring executive members, my vice-chair Dugald McLean and Will Foley for their sage and accurate advice.
"I look forward to getting the input of new executive members, Richard Strowger and Rick Powdrell, on what I know will be our sector's renaissance, says Maxwell.
At a gala evening held at Palmerston North in March, the sporting and rural communities came together to celebrate the Ford New Zealand Rural Sports Awards.
Assessing pasture cover has just been become easier, thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) has appointed Dr Scott Champion as its new chief executive.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has launched a powerful new tool to help commercial beef farmers select the best bulls for their farm businesses.
Air quality is a major safety issue for New Zealand, with approximately 650 deaths per year caused by cancer attributable to airborne contaminants.
Three weeks on from Bremworth’s board overhaul, the carpet maker’s chief executive Greg Smith is stepping down.