Roadmap set to double hort exports by 2035
It's critical that the horticulture sector works together as part of a goal to double the sector’s exports by 2035.
Rural internet users are being left behind in the move towards more technologically advanced systems.
Federated Farmers national board member and telecommunications spokesperson Richard McIntyre says good internet is becoming increasingly necessary for compliance tools like farm plans and NAIT.
“The level of auditing, etc., that’s required for the likes of meat processors, milk protein, that’s basically all done digitally these days and so we will need to run computer programs that download a track map where fertiliser has been placed onto that program so that we can then use it for reporting,” he told Rural News.
The comments come after the release of the 2022 Federated Farmers Rural Connectivity Survey showed more than half of the farmers surveyed reported internet download speeds at or less than 20 megabytes per second (Mbps).
The survey also found that 32% of those surveyed reported a decline in mobile phone service, a 12% jump on last year’s survey.
McIntyre says that while government funding has been generous, things have moved on from when it was first announced, with the infrastructure itself not designed to cope with its current use.
“Previously there was just some phone calls with a little bit of data for checking your emails… whereas now you have heaps of people streaming Netflix, etc. but using the same towers so they need to be upgraded,” he says.
“We’ve got to make sure that we get a good and reliable standard of quality, both in terms of internet and cellular service."
It’s a sentiment that National Party rural communities spokesperson Nicola Grigg agrees with wholeheartedly.
“There are over 8,000 rural homes and businesses around the country that have yet to receive any improvement to their broadband,” Grigg says.
She says the absence of connectivity has forced those within rural communities to switch to more expensive options or continue on with subpar and unusable services.
“For anyone trying to run a business from their rural home, not only is the lack of connectivity frustrating, it also severely impacts a business’s ability to reach and serve new customers.
“The woeful lack of investment from the Government also poses safety risks for those living rurally, with poor coverage often impacting connections to emergency services.”
Recently the Government marked the building of its 350th tower as part of the Rural Broadband Initiative 2 (RBI2) and the Mobile Blackspot Fund (MBF).
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
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Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
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