Is augmented reality the future of farming?
Imagine a farmer being able to tell a paddock’s pasture cover and dry matter content just by looking at it, or accessing information about a cow’s body condition score in the same way.
The Government will spend $15 million to improve rural broadband.
The money will be used to upgrade some existing rural mobile towers, upgrade wireless backhaul, which connects remote sites to central networks, and install external antennae on households to improve coverage
Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Minister Kris Faafoi says the investment will bring broadband services to rural households that are currently without access to the internet.
He says it will mean remote communities are better equipped to get going again when we exit lockdown.
“With the impacts of COVID-19 seeing increasing numbers of New Zealanders using broadband for education, work and maintaining links with friends and whānau, connectivity is more important than ever before,” he says
Faafoi says while the Government’s aim is to provide access to around 99.8% of New Zealanders, some households in isolated regions require reliable access to broadband services in light of COVID-19 – particularly households with school-age children who need internet access for remote learning.
He says this new work brings forward capacity upgrades to meet increased demand for the internet where the urgency is most critical.
Farmer-led charity, Meat the Need is calling for donations to enable it to supply more meals to families in need.
Weaker pricing and demand from China continue to impact New Zealand red meat export earnings.
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.