DIRA Review: Open Country Dairy Warns Against Regulatory "Complacency"
The country's second largest milk processor is warning against 'complacency' during a review of competition regulations in the dairy sector.
Restrictions in an Auckland suburb where one Queensland fruit fly was found may be lifted this weekend after no more have been found.
The Ministry for Primary Industries expects to review the controlled area notice and current fruit movement restrictions this week. The earliest these restrictions will be lifted is Saturday, May 26.
Meanwhile work continues in MPI's response to the finding of a single male Queensland fruit fly in a surveillance trap in Avondale on May 8.
Since that detection, MPI has run an intensive surveillance programme of trapping and fruit inspection to find if a population of the fruit fly is present in the area.
Work underway includes clearing fruit fly traps placed in fruiting trees and inspections of fruit from the area.
To date there have been no further detections of the fruit fly and no adverse reactions from trading partners.
MPI continues to be grateful for community support for the work underway, particularly in complying with requests to avoid moving fruit and vegetables from the controlled area around where the initial fruit fly was found.
Full information about the Queensland fruit fly is on the MPI website at: www.mpi.govt.nz and follow the fruit fly button.
Potatoes New Zealand has congratulated Peter Reynolds of TA Reynolds Ltd in Pukekohe on being awarded the Horticulture New Zealand Bledisloe Cup, recognising a lifetime of service and contribution to New Zealand horticulture.
Signing up to a benchmarking tool is not about competition, but about improving collectively, says Ximena Puig and Alvaro Luzardo who are 50-50 sharemilkers at a 164-hectare (effective) dairy farm in Eketāhuna in the Lower North Island.
A leading British farming politician says he's impressed with the positive attitude of New Zealand farmers that he met during his recent trip here.
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
The Southern Dairy Hub (SDH), which runs a demonstration farm for South Island farmers, has a new general manager.
Esther Guy-Meakin has been announced as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).

A fair question has been raised about how member-funded organisations should conduct themselves when taking a public position on any…
OPINION: It really is getting harder to lampoon government bureaucrats when they do such a good job of it themselves.…