Monday, 19 August 2024 11:55

Rural NZ 'playing its part' - McClay

Written by  Staff Reporters
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay.

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the hard-working men and women of rural New Zealand are playing their part to help rebuild the economy.

McClay says that interest rates and on-farm inflation have turned a corner, meaning farmers can continue to innovate and boost productivity while working to meet environmental obligations.

“With 80% of all the goods coming from the primary sector and more than 350,000 Kiwis employed because of rural activity, farming, forestry, and horticulture remains a mainstay of the NZ economic activity,” McClay says.

He says the Government’s target of doubling exports by value over ten years provides an opportunity to work with the primary sector to add value and deliver greater returns at the farm gate.

“The Government has huge respect for our farmers,” he says. “We will continue to partner with them to drive down costs, simplify regulations and build trust as we get Wellington out of farming.”

“This Government trusts farmers and will continue to back them to deliver for NZ, rural communities can be assured that we have the best and most connected team of Ministers from all over New Zealand working hard on delivering for them,” McClay says.

More like this

Scholarships for emerging talent

83 students from the Massey University School of Agriculture and Environment were awarded close to $400,000 in scholarships at a recent awards evening.

Wairoa flood review findings released

A review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has found the flood was caused by a combination of factors leading to the river backing up and overflowing.

Featured

Tractor, machinery sales dip

The recent Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) conference in Wellington was signalling cautious optimism on the back of rising milk and store cattle prices and drops in interest rates.

Pipeline of rural governors critical

The future of Fonterra is assured, so long as farmer owners stay engaged in the governance of the industry and the business they collectively own.

Scholarships for emerging talent

83 students from the Massey University School of Agriculture and Environment were awarded close to $400,000 in scholarships at a recent awards evening.

National

Making easy choices for consumers

Confusion seems to reign in the supermarkets, especially in China where consumers are faced with multiple messages about products and…

Fewer, larger farms

The future will see a continuation of the trend to fewer and larger farms, most of which will be ‘family…

Machinery & Products

100,000th Fendt 700

Following a quarter century of production, the 100,000th Fendt 700 Vario was recently driven off the production line in Marktoberdorf,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

'Sheer arrogance'

OPINION: A reader recently called out the Hound for not giving Federated Farmers enough credit for taking Otago Regional Council…

Great ideas?

OPINION: Your old mate was shocked to learn that two pet projects of progressive dreamers have come a gutser in…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter