2018/19 — The summer of fruit flies
Not long after a few BMSB post-border detections were dealt with, another familiar biosecurity threat has raised its head.
The invasive pest Chilean Needle grass has been discovered on the edges of Christchurch in West Melton.
This discovery is the furthest south that the prickly pest has been found. All of the other sites in Canterbury have been many kilometres to the north in the Hurunui district.
Environment Canterbury principal biosecurity advisor, Laurence Smith, says the farmer identified Chilean needle grass after reading an article urging people to keep an eye out for the seeding plants.
It also the first new discovery of Chilean needle grass in Canterbury for two years.
"Chilean needle grass seed can lie dormant in the ground for about 10 years so the lag stage between seed movement and establishment requires constant vigilance," says Smith. "Chilean needle grass can reduce stock carrying capacity, income and potentially, property values."
The seed-heads stand out as reddish purple-flecked and glossy in the summer but is indistinguishable from other grass, making it particularly hard to identify.
Seeds attach themselves to people, vehicles and animals and can also be spread in feed and soil. Their sharp tip and twisting awn may drill through animals' pelts and lambs' eyes, causing suffering and potential downgrading of carcasses.
Global trade wars and uncertain tariff regimes could play into the hands of many New Zealand exporters, according to Gareth Coleman ANZ’s Head of Trade & Supply Chain.
The long running trade dispute between NZ and Canada appears to be over.
Herd improvement company LIC has ended the 2024-25 financial year in a strong position - debt-free and almost quadrupling its net profit.
There's been widespread support from the primary sector for the Government's move to put the brakes on local authorities to do any more work on planning changes ahead of major changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA).
Rural health advocates say the Government's decision to establish a new medical school at the University of Waikato augurs well for the rural sector.
People affected by the recent two severe flood events in the Tasman district are weary and exhausted trying to deal with the devastation on their farms and orchards, according to the head of the Rural Support Trust (RST) in the region.
OPINION: Your old mate's ear has been chewed off recently by farmers voicing their displeasure with the National Party, particularly…
OPINION: Your old mate hears that at a recent China Business Summit, PM Christopher Luxon delivered a none-too-subtle "could try…