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Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will be joined by Mark Patterson, Minister for Rural Communities and Associate Minister responsible for wool on the roadshow.
The Government is holding a national woolshed roadshow over the next three months to revitalise the wool sector.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will be joined by Mark Patterson, Minister for Rural Communities and Associate Minister responsible for wool on the roadshow.
“Sheep farmers have long been the backbone of New Zealand’s farming communities,” says Patterson.
“Under my delegation as Minister responsible for wool I will be working with farmers to rebuild the industry into a strong sector that recognises the exporting and sustainability potential of the product.
“We will be engaging with small catchment groups from Northland to Southland meeting farmers in the woolsheds, and at the farm gate, to discuss grassroots solutions.”
McClay says sheep farmers continue to make an invaluable contribution to our primary sector and this government is committed to celebrating and supporting that.
This week McClay hosted bipartisan celebrations of National Lamb Day with industry representatives at Parliament to mark the anniversary of the first frozen lamb exports that left New Zealand in February.
McClay says the Government is focused on getting costs down for farmers.
“We recognise the challenges sheep farmers are facing in the current climate with the oversupply of Australian lamb flooding the market and driving global prices down; and the ongoing barriers faced across the wool sector.
“At the same time, we back our farmers who produce high-quality products that are sought globally.
“The Government recognises the red meat sector’s enduring resilience as an industry that has consistently contributed to New Zealand’s exporting portfolio, and understand we have an obligation to make sure we are not imposing any unnecessary costs on farmers.”
Work to reduce the previous government’s regulatory burden on farmers has already started, McClay says.
A function at Parliament on 7th October brought together central government decision-makers, MPs, industry stakeholders and commercial partners to highlight the need for strategic investment in the future of Fieldays and its home, the Mystery Creek Events Centre campus.
Opening a new $3 million methane research barn in Waikato this month, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay called on the dairy sector to “go as fast as you can and prove the concepts”.
New Zealand’s trade with the European Union has jumped $2 billion since a free trade deal entered into force in May last year.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Todd McClay is encouraging farmers, growers, and foresters not to take unnecessary risks, asking that they heed weather warnings today.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
Acclaimed fruit grower Dean Astill never imagined he would have achieved so much in the years since being named the first Young Horticulturist of the Year, 20 years ago.
The Ashburton-based Carrfields Group continues to show commitment to future growth and in the agricultural sector with its latest investment, the recently acquired 'Spring Farm' adjacent to State Highway 1, Winslow, just south of Ashburton.
New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has blasted Fonterra farmers shareholders for approving the sale of iconic brands to a French company.
A major feature of the Ashburton A&P Show, to be held on October 31 and November 1, will be the annual trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial test match, with the best heading dogs from both sides of the Tasman going head-to-head in two teams of four.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.
