India FTA ‘will be more than just sheepmeat exports'
New Zealand's red meat sector is looking at exporting more than sheepmeat products to India when a comprehensive free trade agreement is secured between the two countries.
The Minister for Primary Industries and a team of his officials from MPI are now visiting some of the farms in the lower North Island that were affected by the heavy weekend rain.
Nathan Guy is visiting a farm in the badly hit area of Whangaehu area north of Whanganui where he’s expected to make an announcement on what assistance the government will be making available to farmers. He will then head north to Hunterville where there are reports of a large number of slips on hill country farms, which have wiped out farm tracks.
Horizons Regional Council are reporting that there are more than 2000 slips, 25 road closures and 12 farms under water in the region.
Earlier this morning Guy inspected his own dairy farm north of Levin. The farm lies close to an organic dairy farm which was inundated with flood waters yesterday, when a stop bank on the Koputaroa Stream burst.
Many farmers have told Rural News these latest floods have been more devastating than those of 2004.
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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