Honey sector strategy aiming for sweet spot
While confident that the apiculture sector can meet its target of doubling honey exports by 2030, chair of ApicultureNZ, Nathan Guy, says it will be challenging.
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.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has informed staff it will cut 391 jobs following a consultation period.