ACC urges safety during spring calving
Dairy farmers around the country are into the busy spring calving period.
Rural insurer FMG is this week launching a mental health initiative aimed at the rural community.
Working with the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand, FMG has devised a programme intended to help farmers, growers and rural people look to their personal health and wellness.
Called Farmstrong, it launches on June 3, offering practical resources to improve farmers’ wellbeing by better preparing them to deal with the ups and downs of living and working in rural businesses.
“Farmstrong’s focus on wellbeing aims to provide farmers and their families with access to resources and information through its website, which will help them to live well and farm well,” says FMG spokesman Colin Wright.
It will also encourage rural communities and farmers to connect with each other via social media, regional farmer ambassadors and regionally focused programmes and events to be announced at the launch.
“This is an important and timely initiative for us and the Mental Health Foundation to be supporting,” says FMG chief executive Chris Black. “It has the potential to make a positive difference for all farmers, their families and staff, and to support the rural sector’s growth objectives for five-ten years.”
A Farmstrong website will be live from June 3.
Relationships are key to opening new trading opportunities and dealing with some of the rules that countries impose that impede the free flow of trade.
Dawn Meats chief executive Niall Browne says their joint venture with Alliance Group will create “a dynamic industry competitor”.
Tributes have flowed following the death of former Prime Minister and political and business leader, Jim Bolger. He was 90.
A drop in methane targets announced by the Government this month has pleased farmers but there are concerns that without cross-party support, the targets would change once a Labour-led Government is voted into office.
Farmer shareholders of meat processor Alliance have voted in favour of a proposed $270 million joint venture investment by Irish company, Dawn Meats.
The former chair of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and farmer, Doug Leeder, says rural communities' biggest fear right now is the lack of long-term certainty over environmental regulations.
OPINION: Why does it take Treasury so long to turn around its figures on how the economy is tracking?
OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…