RWNZ chief executive to step down
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) chief executive Gabrielle O’Brien will step down at the end of June.
Silver Fern Farms says it is helping sponsor new charity – Meat the Need – so its farmer suppliers can donate meat to those New Zealanders who need it most.
Following a pilot scheme in Christchurch, the initiative will extend to rural communities and other main centres, just as foodbanks are reporting record demand.
Created by Wayne Langford and Siobhan O’Malley, Meat the Need enables farmers to help feed New Zealand families, who are struggling to make ends meet, by providing a way for farmers to donate livestock that is then processed and delivered to foodbanks.
The scheme had been in the planning for over a year, but the initiative was accelerated in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Langford, says Meat the Need welcomes Silver Fern Farms’ partnership, which connects key participants in the supply chain – including the processing and distribution of the end-product.
The first delivery of 5,000 packs of meat, processed and donated by Silver Fern Farms, was delivered to the Christchurch City Mission on April 23. It is expected that supply of product will extend to other regions as more farmers donate stock.
Silver Fern Farms’ head of communications and sustainability, Justin Courtney says the company’s involvement in Meat the Need is a direct response to calls from its farmers for a way to give back to their community.
“Silver Fern Farmers are proud of the role they play in producing food for our nation and the world and want to contribute to ensuring Kiwis don’t go hungry. They want to know that all New Zealanders benefit from the fact that we produce large amounts of the best red meat in the world right here,” he says.
Courtney says a simple booking process has been put in place for farmers who supply livestock to SFF for processing to donate the value for an agreed number of livestock into the Meat the Need charity fund. SFF them processes and provides beef mince to foodbanks.
Farmers and the public can also get involved by donating funds to Meat the Need through its website”
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.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.