Junket?
OPINION: The Hound notes that the Taxpayers’ Union recently revealed that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) spent more than $125,000 for its presence at this year’s Mystery Creek Fieldays.
The Fieldays 2015 Economic Impact report reveals the events contributes $166m to the GDP of New Zealand and $53m to Waikato.
Dr Warren Hughes of the University of Waikato Management School's Institute of Business Research and Hughes Economics independently prepared the report.
"When preparing the impact study, we look at three sources — visitor spending, equipment spending and organisation spending," says Hughes.
The decrease in both Waikato and New Zealand's revenue and GDP of 13-14% has been attributed to the dairy forecast.
"Unfortunately, as we came into Fieldays, we knew there was bad news ahead in the dairy sector and equipment purchase fell directly, and the overall total price fell accordingly," say Hughes.
However, he says all other sectors, including sheep, beef, horticulture and wine, are on the up.
"We're thrilled with the economic impacts of Fieldays 2015," says NZ National Fieldays Society CEO Jon Calder.
Calder says the event is "more than just four days in June".
"We're incredibly proud to have such relationships with our stakeholders and customers to be able to contribute so significantly to New Zealand's primary sector."
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.