HortNZ supports new water storage plan
Horticulture New Zealand has welcomed the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s decision to advance plans for a new water storage facility on the Heretaunga Plains.
Horticulture New Zealand’s grower members have elected two new directors to their board: John Cook and Mike Smith, both kiwifruit growers from Bay of Plenty.
Cook has worked extensively in agriculture and horticulture -- owning a dairy and sheep farm – and has worked on and had investments in pipfruit, summerfruit and kiwifruit businesses in Australia and New Zealand. He has a Diploma in Agriculture from Lincoln University and was a recipient of a Kellogg Rural Leadership Scholarship.
Smith has been in the kiwifruit business for at least 20 years and has worked in dairy farming and the stock and station industry. He is chair of the Green Kiwifruit Growers Association and a member of the Bay of Plenty Young Fruitgrower committee.
The new board’s term starts at the HortNZ annual meeting in Rotorua on July 28.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
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