Waitoa launches QR-enabled campaign to trace free range chicken
Poultry producer Waitoa is launching a new campaign, complete with on-pack QR codes, giving Kiwis the ability to trace their free range chicken back to the farms where it was raised.
Food prices fell 0.9% in September 2016, influenced by seasonally lower prices for vegetables and cheaper chicken prices, Statistics New Zealand says.
Chicken prices fell 0.9% for the month, and 11% over the year to September 2016. Prices have fallen on an annual basis for the last 16 months to reach their lowest level since October 2007.
"Chicken prices peaked in December 2014, when the average price of a kilo of chicken breasts was $16.60," consumer prices manager Matt Haigh says.
"In September 2016 the average price had fallen to $13.52.
“The generally falling prices for chicken in recent months are the result of expanded investment in farming operations by the New Zealand poultry industry," Poultry Industry Association executive director Michael Brooks says. "With supply decisions being made one to two years ahead, temporary periods of under- or over-supply can occur and affect prices accordingly.”
Chicken consumed in New Zealand is locally produced, so prices can fluctuate in the local market.
Fruit and vegetable prices fell 5.1% in September 2016, reflecting seasonally lower prices for tomatoes, capsicum, lettuce, and cucumber. After seasonal adjustment, fruit and vegetable prices rose 0.4%.
Overall food prices increased 0.1% in the year to September 2016.
Irrigation NZ is warning that the government's Resource Management Act (RMA) reform risks falling short of its objectives unless water use for food production and water storage infrastructure are clearly recognised in the goals at the top of the new system.
More than five million trays, or 18,000 tonnes, of Zespri’s RubyRed Kiwifruit will soon be available for consumers across 16 markets this season.
The Government has announced its support for 18 community-based initiatives through its Rural Wellbeing Fund.
New data shows that pork remains one of the more affordable meat options for New Zealand households at a time when grocery costs continue to put pressure on budgets.
The South Island Dairy Event's BrightSIDE has named Jessica Kilday as the recipient of the BrightSIDE Scholarship, recognising her commitment to furthering her education and future career in the New Zealand dairy industry.
Scientists from the Bioeconomy Science Institute Maiangi Taiao has achieved a successful cocksfoot-ryegrass cross capable of producing fertile seed, a world-first.

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