increase font size
Left: Velvetleaf plant in fodder beet crop. Right: Velvetleaf plants grow from 1m to 2.5m tall. Image: MPI.
MPI is taking the fight against velvetleaf to individuals in the provinces with a series of farmer support meetings starting in the South Island next week.
Velvetleaf is an invasive pastoral and cropping weed that has been found on 252 farms around the country. The majority of affected properties are in Canterbury, Otago and Southland. Its presence here has been linked to the importation of contaminated fodder beet seed.
The ministry has been working with primary sector industry bodies and regional councils to investigate the situation, find and destroy outbreaks, and develop plans to manage the weed in future.
Response incident controller David Yard says managing velvetleaf is possible if everyone involved stays on top of it – every year.
"We recognise that this is very disappointing for those farmers who have this pest weed on their properties. But we are also keen that farmers understand that relatively simple measures such as good machinery hygiene, management of stock and crop planting, and removing any velvetleaf plants that appear will all help control the situation.
"It is vital that farmers and rural contractors have this knowledge and for this reason, we've organised meetings in the key affected areas to provide full information about velvetleaf and its management."
There are two components to the meetings in each location. In the mornings – from 10am – midday – there will be an open public session and during the afternoons affected farmers will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with technical experts to develop a personalised management plan for their property.
The full schedule of meetings is on the MPI website at: http://mpi.govt.nz/protection-and-response/responding/alerts/velvetleaf/
The first three meetings are in Canterbury as follows:
Tuesday, July 19 - Waipara Hall, Cnr Johnston St and Ferguson Ave, Waipara, Amberley
Wednesday, July 20 - Pleasant Point Town Hall - Halstead Road, Pleasant Point, Timaru
Thursday, July 21 - Tinwald War Memorial Hall, Cnr Graham and McMurdo Streets, Tinwald, Ashburton
All meetings start at 10am.
For more information about velvetleaf see the MPI website: http://mpi.govt.nz/protection-and-response/responding/alerts/velvetleaf/
OPINION: The recent detection of Avian Influenza (AI), a low pathogenicity strain H7N6, at a free-range poultry farm in Otago has the agri sector focused on biosecurity. While the situation is cause for concern, the emphasis is on not panicking but remaining vigilant. The key message? Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility.
A Nelson lifestyle block owner has been fined $4,200 after she failed to treat a cow suffering from severe cancer eye.
The latest Ministry for Primary Industries report on the state of the primary sector shows that things are starting to look up after a rough 2023-24 season.
Lower yields and a reduced grape price for Sauvignon Blanc, along with a 6% rise in operating expenses, saw a major fall in profitability in the Marlborough vineyard model in 2023/2024.
Every time people from overseas see photographs of cows up to their hocks in mud it's bad for New Zealand.
For the primary sector, 2024 would go down as one of the toughest years on record. Peter Burke reports.
Environment Southland says it has now ring-fenced $375,000 for new funding initiatives, aimed at enhancing water quality.
National Lamb Day, the annual celebration honouring New Zealand’s history of lamb production, could see a boost in 2025 as rural insurer FMG and Rabobank sign on as principal partners.
The East Coast Farming Expo is playing host to a quad of ‘female warriors’ (wahine toa) who will give an in-depth insight into the opportunities and successes the primary industries offer women.
New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is sharing simple food safety tips for Kiwis to follow over the summer.
Beef produced from cattle from New Zealand's dairy sector could provide reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of up to 48, compared to the average for beef cattle, a new study by AgResearch has found.
OPINION: Before we all let The Green Party have at it with their 'bold' emissions reduction plan, the Hound thought…
OPINION: The Feds' latest banking survey shows that bankers are even less popular with farmers than they used to be,…
