Halter raises $165m, company valued at $1.65b
New Zealand tech company Halter has raised $165 million from investors in its latest fundraising round.
Foreign land ownership, food prices and super farms are all hot topics at the moment – and they all hinge on the vital importance of agriculture and land-based industries to the New Zealand economy.
Visitors to the National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek this week June 13-16 will have the opportunity to hear about these and a range of other topics at daily seminars, being held in the Premier Feature area.
The University of Waikato is in its sixth year as a strategic partner of fieldays, and the university's inaugural Chair of Agribusiness, Professor Jacqueline Rowarth will be playing a key role in delivering the Fieldays Seminar Series.
She'll be facilitating a series of panel discussions with speakers covering topics such as farm ownership, gender, ethnicity, land use, and regulations in food production -- as well as food prices.
"These are topics of interest to all New Zealanders," says Rowarth. "It's the exchange of ideas and information that is the foundation for advances in agriculture. It's also the basis of understanding."
To discuss the issues, she'll be joined by speakers including Peter Buckley of the Waikato Regional Council, Willy Leferink of Federated Farmers, and Chris Kelly of Landcorp.
Also speaking at the seminar series is population economist Professor Jacques Poot of the National Institute of Demographic and Economic Analysis, based at the University of Waikato.
Poot is examining data on population trends in rural New Zealand, and says it's a complicated picture.
He says some rural areas on the fringes of urban areas are experiencing population growth as lifestylers move in, others are benefiting from growth in the primary sector or tourism, while yet other more peripheral rural populations are hollowing out as young people leave to find work.
OPINION: Ministry for Primary Industries' situation outlook for primary industries report (SOPI) makes impressive reading.
Sheep and beef farmers Matt and Kristin Churchward say using artificial intelligence (AI) to spread fertiliser on their sprawling 630ha farm is a game changer for their business.
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being encouraged to cast their votes in the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board directors' election.
A unique discovery by a Palmerston North science company, Biolumic, looks set to revolutionise the value and potential of ryegrass and the secret is the application of ultraviolet (UV) light.
A New Zealand company is redefining the global collagen game by turning New Zealand sheepskin into a world-class health product.
With further extreme weather on the way, ANZ Bank is encouraging farmers and business owners impacted by the recent extreme weather and flooding to seek support if they need it.