Wools of New Zealand Calls for India FTA to Boost Farmer Returns
Wools of New Zealand is joining calls for New Zealand to urgently ratify a Free Trade Agreement with India.
Former Beef+Lamb chair James Parsons has been elected as chair of Wools of New Zealand (WNZ).
Parsons – is a beef and sheep farmer located in Northland and well known for his past chairmanship of Beef & Lamb NZ and The New Zealand Meat Board. He joined the WNZ Board in November 2019 after being elected by growers at the 2019 AGM.
Interim chair Rebecca Smith created the vacancy when she stepped down from her role of chair but remains as a director.
“Strong wool prices have been through a period of decline for the last two decades and COVID-19 has seen prices crash to an all-time low,” Parsons says. “Yet, WNZ research shows that the price that the consumer pays has not changed, and woolen products are still considered premium products by many.”
He says the current state of the industry is unsustainable at current price levels.
“WNZ is well placed with international representatives and strong partnerships in market.”
The board of Wools New Zealand comprises James Parsons as chair, Craig Hickson, Ian Marshall and Rebecca Smith. Directors who have vacated their positions this year include Mark Shadbolt and Lucy Griffiths.
The Envrionmental Protection Authority (EPA) has welcomed the deicsion by the Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) to withdraw its appeal of the High Court's decision confirming the Authority had acted lawfully when deciding not to reassess glyphosate.
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) is inviting applications for scholarships places on its 2026 Leadership Programme.
More than 640 dairy farmers and industry leaders gathered together at Rotorua's Energy Events Centre on Saturday night to celebrate the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards where Southland couple Scott and Stacey Mackereth were named Share Farmers of the Year.
Āta Regenerative is bringing international expertise to New Zealand to help farmers respond to growing soil and water challenges, as environmental monitoring identifies declining ecosystem function and reduced water-holding capacity across farms.
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