Locally grown fruits, veg in full supply
One of the country’s two largest supermarket chains is reporting that for the first time since the disruption of Covid, they have largely full supply on almost all fruit and vegetables grown locally.
Horticulture NZ's new chief executive says she's floored by the number of wellbeing issues the sector is currently facing.
In a letter to members of the industry-good organisation, Nadine Tunley says horticulturalists work incredibly hard, often under very trying conditions.
She says, at the moment, there are just too many things being asked of growers.
"My plea is that we take a breath, and industry and the Government work together on how we keep all of our businesses contributing to New Zealand's social and economic recovery," Tunley says.
"My impression is that the Government does not understand the depth of our industry's problems."
She says that mental health is of deep concern to New Zealanders at the moment and the horticulture industry is no exception.
"However, my concern is the Government's lack of any real understanding about what is involved in growing and providing food for domestic consumption and export, in a post-Covid world," Tunley adds.
"I have been hearing for months that horticulture will be NZ's saviour in terms of economic recovery, as well as in terms of significantly assisting with climate change mitigation for our protein-based colleagues. At a very basic level, horticulture and its success are determined by a well-balanced supply and demand requirement, solid central and local government policies, significant levels of capital investment, and good supply chain facilities, from field to fork."
However, Tunley adds that horticulture is a far more labour-intensive product to produce than NZ's other protein producing counterparts. She says technology and automation are still very limited in most areas of horticulture, but notes that if it were a more advanced and genuine solution, growers would be using it without question.
"The irony is that we are being asked to provide employment for New Zealanders. The areas of our industry where this is most possible are the areas we will automate first because current policy is forcing us to do this," Tunley says. "Once those jobs are automated, they will never come back."
The senior and junior awards at the inaugural Otago Southland Clash of the Colleges were claimed by the students of Otago Boys’ High School and Blue Mountain College.
Arran Trust has recalled specific batches of its Arran Farm brand raw (unpasteurised) drinking milk following concerns the product may contain Campylobacter.
New research reveals that New Zealand households have made progress in reducing food waste over the past year, cutting the annual amount wasted by an estimated $300 million in the past year alone.
Voting is now open for this year’s DairyNZ director elections.
Today, public consultation begins on a series of proposals designed to strengthen New Zealand’s biosecurity system.
A former dairy farmer with a passion for breeding good cows has switched gears after farming in her own right.
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