Science and technology take centre stage at 2025 National Fieldays
Showcasing the huge range of new technologies and science that is now available was one of the highlights at last week's National Fieldays.
The Ministry for Primary Industries must name the imported berry products linked to Hepatitis A and recall them, says Labour's Primary Industry spokesman Damien O'Connor.
"It is not good enough to just warn people to boil the berries before eating them. Thousands of people every day around the country are drinking smoothies full of berries," says O'Connor.
"Hepatitis A is particularly dangerous for the elderly and those with chronic liver damage."
O'Connor says the Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy must seek urgent answers from his ministry over its handling of imported frozen berries linked to a Hepatitis A outbreak.
"Australian officials recalled important frozen berries there in February. Nathan Guy must explain why – when there is a joint Australasian approach to food safety – the same wasn't done here," he says.
"This latest scare is yet again proof that Labour is right to call for the return of a stand-alone food safety agency."
Reuters reports that giant food company Wilmar Group has announced it had handed over 11.8 trillion rupiah (US$725 million) to Indonesia's Attorney General's Office as a "security deposit" in relation to a case in court about alleged misconduct in obtaining palm oil export permits.
DairyNZ is celebrating 60 years of the Economic Survey, reflecting on the evolution of New Zealand's dairy sector over time.
As electricity prices soar, farmers appear to be looking for alternative energy sources.
There is an appeal to New Zealanders to buy local citrus fruit.
Avocado growers are reporting a successful season, but some are struggling to keep their operations afloat following years of bad weather.
It's time to start talking up science again, especially as a career for young people. That's one of the key messages from the Prime Minister's new chief science advisor, Dr John Roche.