Native Forest Champions Honoured at Fieldays 2026
Forestry Minister Todd McClay has today congratulated the winners of the 2026 Growing Native Forests Champions Awards at Fieldays.
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.
