Meat Industry Association CEO to Step Down
The Meat Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA) today announced that Chief Executive Officer Sirma Karapeeva has resigned from the role.
133,588 people came through the gates over the course of the Fieldays – this is the biggest number in the history of the four day event.
“This year’s Fieldays was another success thanks to hard work from Peter Nation (Fieldays chief executive) and his team, but also in part due to the positive outlook for the primary sector,” says Guy.
“Many farmers and growers have dealt with some challenging past seasons, so it was great to feel a really positive mood across the many thousands who entered the gates. There’s a strong sense that many will be looking to use their extra forecast revenue to reinvest in their businesses.
“This will have flow on effects for the wider economy, and particularly for all those rural businesses that support the primary sector. That includes those offering direct support services, right through to those who operate general retail businesses in our regions,” says Guy.
The Fieldays event kicked off on Tuesday night with an event celebrating the 1000th Sustainable Farming Fund project, and the launch of the Primary Sector Science Roadmap.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) also released its Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) forecasting export receipts will increase over 9% to $41.6 billion in the year to June 2018.
“The Fieldays is the largest agribusiness exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere and is regarded internationally as a world class agribusiness expo,” says Guy.
“There is now a large international delegation, including media, in attendance every year. The benefits of having our premium food, services, and agri-technology showcased and then broadcast around the globe is invaluable.”
New Zealand's diverse cheesemaking talent shone brightly last night as the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) crowned the champions of the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards.
Tracing has indicated that the source of the first velvetleaf find of the 2025-26 crop season, in Auckland, was likely maize purchased in the Waikato region.
Fish & Game New Zealand has announced its election priorities in its Manifesto 2026.
With the forage maize harvest started in Northland and the Waikato, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is telling growers of later crops, or those further south, to start checking their maize crop maturity about three weeks prior to when they think they will start silage harvesting.
Irrigation NZ is warning that the government's Resource Management Act (RMA) reform risks falling short of its objectives unless water use for food production and water storage infrastructure are clearly recognised in the goals at the top of the new system.
More than five million trays, or 18,000 tonnes, of Zespri’s RubyRed Kiwifruit will soon be available for consumers across 16 markets this season.

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