DIRA Review: Open Country Dairy Warns Against Regulatory "Complacency"
The country's second largest milk processor is warning against 'complacency' during a review of competition regulations in the dairy sector.
Ministry for Primary Industries border staff were shocked last week by a passenger arriving in Auckland with two crates of fresh mango – which carry a high risk of hosting Queensland fruit fly.
The fruit fly is one of the biggest risks to our horticultural industry.
The woman passenger from Brisbane declared the fruit, so did not receive any penalty. She thought it was okay to bring mangos into New Zealand after talking with the airline, says operational support coordinator Steve Gay.
"It is common to see a passenger carry one or two fruit items, but two whole crates is really over the top," says Gay.
Gay says the mangos posed a high biosecurity risk to New Zealand. "They're a favourite fruit for Queensland Fruit Fly – a pest that would have a devastating impact on New Zealand horticulture if it became established here.
"The good thing is the woman declared the goods, which shows our biosecurity messages are getting through to international passengers. We'll be talking further with the airline to see if there is any confusion about our biosecurity rules."
The crates contained 28 mangos. They have since been destroyed.
Potatoes New Zealand has congratulated Peter Reynolds of TA Reynolds Ltd in Pukekohe on being awarded the Horticulture New Zealand Bledisloe Cup, recognising a lifetime of service and contribution to New Zealand horticulture.
Signing up to a benchmarking tool is not about competition, but about improving collectively, says Ximena Puig and Alvaro Luzardo who are 50-50 sharemilkers at a 164-hectare (effective) dairy farm in Eketāhuna in the Lower North Island.
A leading British farming politician says he's impressed with the positive attitude of New Zealand farmers that he met during his recent trip here.
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
The Southern Dairy Hub (SDH), which runs a demonstration farm for South Island farmers, has a new general manager.
Esther Guy-Meakin has been announced as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).

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