Bulk wine exports surpass packaged wine volumes
Data from February 2025 shows volumes of bulk wine exports exceeded packaged wine.
Talks are underway between the Ministry of Primary Industries and a group of apple and stonefruit farmers over the future of 48,000 plants imported from the US.
Members of the apple and stonefruit industry and MPI held discussions last Friday on the orders of the High Court.
The High Court has ordered a five-day relief to nurseries and orchardists who face losing tens of thousands of apple and stonefruit plants imported from the US; it will rule on an extension of the order this week.
A final decision regarding the future management of the 48,000 plants has not yet been reached, but the industry group was heartened by a constructive initial meeting with MPI representatives, the industry group said in a statement.
“The industry group expects further opportunities to engage with MPI to continue discussions in the coming days, in order to avoid the need to seek further rulings from the High Court.”
Justice Francis Cooke had previously held MPI’s initial directive to be unlawful, but had issued interim orders maintaining the status quo for the plants and plant materials. These orders were set to expire at 5:00pm on Friday afternoon. Earlier in the day on Friday, a teleconference was held between the parties (the industry, MPI, and Justice Cooke) where MPI sought an extension to the interim orders.
The judge’s decision regarding an extension to the interim orders had not been confirmed by close of business on Friday but is expected very early this week.
The industry group is cautiously optimistic that a solution which is agreeable to all parties can be achieved without the need to go back to the Court.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.