increase font size
RURAL ORGANISATIONS are taking steps to ensure their voices are heard at council tables nationwide after polling closes in local body elections on October 12.
Federated Farmers has put out a manifesto and Horticulture NZ wants to hear from any grower candidates so they can raise their profile.
And a record number of Rural Women NZ members are standing, motivated by the need for better understanding by councils and district health boards of rural community challenges.
At least 14 Rural Women NZ members are seeking election in various regions; three are already certain of their seats, being unopposed.
Rural rates are a hot issue, particularly the disproportionate share of rates being shouldered by farmers, says Rural Women.
Federated Farmers chief executive Conor English says farmers’ practical perspective is needed on councils. “If you get this practical perspective you can get some good constructive outcomes,” he told Rural News. Councils can have some “fantastic staff” but some don’t understand the realities of farming.
A manifesto is useful for putting on the record what you want – and offering solutions to some challenges. It will be sent to the new crop of elected members nationwide.
Federated Farmers is celebrating following the Government's announcement that young farmers will be able to use their KiwiSaver funds to buy their first home or farm.
OPINION: The euphoria over the Government’s two new bills to replace the broken Resource Management Act is over.
Canterbury arable farmers are down by tens of millions of dollars after a rollercoaster of wild changeable January weather saw harvests delayed and some crops destroyed by violent hailstorms.
OPINION: The past few weeks have been tough on farms across the North Island: floods and storms have caused damage and disruption to families and businesses.
Sheep and beef farmers in Hawke's Bay are being urged to keep a close eye on the wells that supply water to their stock.
Fonterra says its interim results show continued momentum in its performance, with revenue of $13.9 billion in the first half of the 2026 financial year.
New Zealand's diverse cheesemaking talent shone brightly last night as the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) crowned the champions of the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards.
Tracing has indicated that the source of the first velvetleaf find of the 2025-26 crop season, in Auckland, was likely maize purchased in the Waikato region.
Fish & Game New Zealand has announced its election priorities in its Manifesto 2026.
With the forage maize harvest started in Northland and the Waikato, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is telling growers of later crops, or those further south, to start checking their maize crop maturity about three weeks prior to when they think they will start silage harvesting.
Irrigation NZ is warning that the government's Resource Management Act (RMA) reform risks falling short of its objectives unless water use for food production and water storage infrastructure are clearly recognised in the goals at the top of the new system.
OPINION: Election years are usually regarded as the silly season, but a mate of the Hound reckons 2026 is shaping…
OPINION: If farmers poured just a few litres of some pollutant into a stream, the Green Party and the wider…
