Editorial: Dairy visa woes set to ease
OPINION: Dairy farmers will be breathing easier thanks to the Government last month delivering a Christmas gift in the form of immigration reforms.
An estimated 9,000 migrants working in New Zealand’s primary industries and their families could benefit from the Government’s new one-off, simplified pathway tor residency, says Agriculture and Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor.
“This is a great step that will provide certainty for hard-working migrants, their families, their employers and our rural communities,” O’Connor says.
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi today announced the new 2021 Resident Visa, an arrangement that could see up to 165,000 migrants granted residence.
According to details released on Immigration New Zealand’s website, to be eligible you must:
You must also meet one or more of the following three criteria:
Eligible visas include the Essential Skills Work Visa, the Religious Worker Work Visa, the Post Study Work Visa and the Skilled Migrant Category Job Search Work Visa.
Visa holders an also include their partners and dependents in their application.
Applications for the 2021 Resident Visa will be open in two phases; on 1 December 2021, and 1 March 2022.
O’Connor says that while the announcement will help to relieve workforce pressure, he believes the primary industries still needs to stay focused on long-term strategies for developing people.
“Immigration is one way to source people, but we also need to keep up the good work that’s been done over the past 12 months or so to attract Kiwis into life on the land or supply chains, and of course retain them,” he says.
“Wherever you go in modern economies around the world, the most valued resource is people and it’s no different for our primary sector.
“Across our primary industries we are experiencing very good growth in export revenues and having great people will be key to our trade-led recovery from Covid-19,” O’Connor says.
A unique discovery by a Palmerston North science company, Biolumic, looks set to revolutionise the value and potential of ryegrass and the secret is the application of ultraviolet (UV) light.
A New Zealand company is redefining the global collagen game by turning New Zealand sheepskin into a world-class health product.
With further extreme weather on the way, ANZ Bank is encouraging farmers and business owners impacted by the recent extreme weather and flooding to seek support if they need it.
New Zealand must continue to educate Chinese consumers about the unique qualities of its red meat products and how they differ from competitors, says Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dan Boulton.
There are opportunities outside the farmgate for young farmers to further develop their skills, says 2025 Primary Industries Emerging Leader Award winner Bridie Virbickas.
A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.
OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the…
OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left…