Bank closures 'hurting local communities'
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) says access to personal banking services in rural communities is fundamental to promoting outcomes that benefit Kiwi consumers.
LIvestock firms PGG Wrightson, Elders New Zealand (Carrfields) and Rural Livestock are facing claims of price fixing by Commerce Commission.
The commission is the country’s competition regulatory agency. On its website it describes its purpose as, “…enforcing legislation that promotes competition in NZ markets and prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct by traders”.
It claims that the three livestock firms fixed fees charged during the implementation of the NAIT national livestock tagging scheme. Its consumer protection authority is investigating fees charged during the adoption of the scheme.
A spokesman for the commission says it will file proceedings against the three companies and five undisclosed individuals before the end of July.
In a statement to Rural News the commission said: “The commission can confirm that its investigation into alleged price fixing by NZ livestock companies is in its final stages. The commission expects to file proceedings against PGG Wrightson, Elders New Zealand and Rural Livestock Ltd and five individuals by the end of July. We cannot comment further at this time.”
Last week PGG Wrightson advised that the commission believed it had breached the Commerce Act over how it charged fees during the scheme’s implementation.
China’s Ambassador Wang Xiaolong says bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand has made significant and rapid progress.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.