Red meat industry hails new migrant visa rules as win for jobs and exports
New Zealand's red meat processing and exporting sector has welcomed the government's announcement of new work visas.
A welcome relief – that’s how the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) is describing the decision to include veterinarians on the new Government Green List.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the Green List which is designed to provide a streamlined and prioritised pathway to residency, incentivising highly skilled workers to relocate to New Zealand long term.
The list includes 85 hard-to-fill roles, including veterinarians, to help attract and retain high-skilled workers to alleviate skill shortages.
NZVA chief executive Kevin Bryant says he welcomes the news, adding it was urgently required to help tackle the current workforce shortage in veterinary practices across the country.
“Veterinary professionals have been under incredible pressure ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began," Bryant says. "Being included on the Green List will make it much easier to actively recruit highly-skilled veterinarians to work here."
Visa extensions have also been announced for approximately 20,000 migrants already in New Zealand to ensure skilled workers can stay in the country.
Driven by a lifelong passion for animals, Amy Toughey's journey from juggling three jobs with full-time study to working on cutting-edge dairy research trials shows what happens when hard work meets opportunity - and she's only just getting started.
The New Zealand Fish & Game Council has announced a leadership change in an effort to provide strategic direction for the sector and support the implementation of proposed legislative changes.
AgFirst, New Zealand's largest independent agribusiness consultancy, is turning 30 - celebrating three decades of "trusted advice, practical solutions, and innovative thinking".
Strong global milk production and rebalancing of demand among key buyers has delivered one of the biggest drops in whole milk powder prices in recent years.
Dairy farmers around the country are into the busy spring calving period.
Rural communities say support is required to shift away from the copper network that has been the only source of internet connection for some parts of rural New Zealand.