Rural Vote Debate on Q&A: Substance or Just Platitudes?
It was billed as a chance for all the political parties to woo the rural vote, but question marks hang over just how effective this was.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says a series of rural resilienced set to be rolled out next week will help farmers and growers better prepared for adverse weather events.
McClay says that significant rainfall and flooding over the summer have caused damage to farms and orchards while also impacting freight, transport and other infrastructure.
"Farmers and growers have shown significant resilience getting through recent storms and ensuring the welfare of their animals. These workshops will help in emergency preparedness," he says.
The catchment emergency preparedness workshops will be held across the country with a rural resilience roadshow set to be held on the West Coast this month.
Mark Patterson, Rural Communities Minister, says rural communities are highly exposed to the impacts of emergencies, and preparation is key.
"The workshops are designed to be practical to help rural New Zealanders prepare for and respond to adverse events," he says.
A farm emergency plan template and an adverse event preparedness checklist for farmers can be found on the Good Farm website or on MPI’s website: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/funding-rural-support/adverse-events/preparing-for-adverse-events.
Additional details for workshops will be available on the events section of the NZ Landcare Trust website closer to the time.
New Zealand's citrus growers were challenged to build their future on the value embedded in their fruit rather than the volume they produce, at Citrus New Zealand's annual gathering in Gisborne on 17 September.
Leading John Deere technicians and apprentices from New Zealand and Australians were recognised at the recent sixth annual JD Technician of the Year Awards, held in Brisbane.
In Dacre, near Invercargill in New Zealand’s South Island, Bruce Dinnington is running a dairy operation unlike any other.
A free online platform aggregating governance vacancies across rural and regional New Zealand has been launched.
Environment Minister Nicola Grigg has announced details of a new rural plastics recycling scheme.
Agricultural drone operators say that a government decision to allow lower-risk drone work without certification won’t lower standards but drive innovation and efficiency.

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