Editorial: Support, don't stifle farmers
OPINION: Ministry for Primary Industries' situation outlook for primary industries report (SOPI) makes impressive reading.
IT MAY BE the festive season, but Auckland biosecurity staff were gobsmacked to find a live Christmas tree coming through the x-ray machine at the International Mail Centre in Auckland this week.
The packaged pine tree had arrived from UK complete with a pot of soil.
"The quarantine inspector working the x-ray machine thought, 'what the heck?'" says Craig Hughes, manager north, passenger and mail from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
He says the tree won't be allowed into New Zealand and that the sender has been offered the choices of having it destroyed or returned to the UK.
"There's no way MPI can let it into the country. Both the tree and the untreated soil may be harbouring pests or diseases that could harm New Zealand's primary industries and natural environment."
He says there is a fungus currently killing fir trees used for Christmas in the United States and Britain.
"MPI and the forestry industry clearly don't want to see this tree fungus or anything like it establish here."
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.