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Ray Smith.
MPI director general Ray Smith has praised the country’s farming leaders for their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smith says while primary food production is in business, but it’s not business as usual and we used to know it.
More than the 100 primary sector industry leaders he spoke to on a video link took that message on board and have been working on innovative solutions to deal with the crisis. Smith says it’s pleasing to see them being prepared to yield a bit to ensure the best outcome for the country.
He cites as an example of this the protocol that has been agreed by the meat processing companies to keep their works operating, albeit at a much lower level of production. MPI set out its criteria and industry came up with a solution that will keep its workers safe and plants open for business.
Currently about 90% of MPI’s 3500 workforce are operating from home, but many staff – such as those in biosecurity at airports and shipping terminals – are still working in the field.
“We also have people out on the road undertaking verification duties, there are still people who need to certify products for export and all those sorts of things that are needed to keep the systems flying. Some will still turn up on farm depending on what the circumstances are.”
Smith, himself, is one of three staff working from MPI’s head office in Wellington where normally 1200 people work. He says half his executive team are working from home, but they hold two major conference calls each day to make sure plans are in place to deal the COVID-19 implications for the rural sector.
The recent East Coast Farming Expo, held over two days at Wairoa, offered an insight into the current state of agriculture on the east of the North Island, at a time when the locals are remembering the second anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle.
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Horticulture Minister Nicola Grigg says she takes her hat off to all NZ growers for the hard yards they have put in over the last few years which have resulted in horticulture exports expected to reach the milestone of $8 billion this year.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
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