Birth woes
OPINION: What does the birth rate in China have to do with stock trading? Just ask a2 Milk Company.
Foreign investment not only brings in money but links New Zealand into foreign markets, says former Prime Minister John Key.
Speaking at the opening of a $50 million expansion at New Image Group (NIG) Nutritionals goat milk plant in Paerata, South Auckland, Key said that as Prime Minister he was a big fan of foreign investment.
Key also told Rural News imposing another tax on farmers now for greenhouse gas emissions won't achieve much and should be out of the question until science provides more answers. Read more here.
“I don’t think we always understand how important it is,” he said speaking on foreign investment.
NIG Nutritionals is 10% owned by the Chinese company Newer Biotechnology (Hunan) Ltd and 90% owned by Graeme Clegg’s New Image Group.
The company makes goat milk powder products for export, direct selling via operational offices in 20 countries. Last year it was independently ranked as the 52nd biggest direct selling company in the world.
Key spoke at the opening as PM Jacinda Ardern was unavailable to attend.
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
Philip and Lyneyre Hooper of the Hoopman Family Trust have tonight been named the Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
We are not a bunch of sky cowboys. That was one of the key messages from the chairperson of the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) Kent Weir, speaking at an education day at Feilding aerodrome for 25 policymakers and regulators from central and local government and other rural professionals.
New Zealand's dairy and beef industries say they welcome the announcement that the Government will invest $10.49 million in the Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) programme.

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