The model is broken – Govt
Minister of Education Chris Hipkins concedes the timing of the Taratahi interim liquidation is tough, especially for students and staff, and he says supporting them is a top priority.
The problems at Taratahi were laid open, prior to its interim liquidation in December, in August last year.
The major agricultural training institute's future remains in limbo after it went into interim liquidation just before Christmas at the request of its board of trustees.
Chief executive, Arthur Graves, told Rural News in August that as the farming sector generally was going through a reset so was Taratahi. Read the article (published in September) with his views here.
He said it was a financially tough time with student numbers down, yet Taratahi still had to spend money on reshaping courses to attract young people and to match the reset in the farming industry.
Graves said all vocational trainers were short of enrolments and the market was “tight and competitive” for students.
Graves told Rural News the construction industry was winning the hearts and minds of young school leavers who were heading for the big cities and not life in the country.
He also noted that at the heart of the problem was demographics — low numbers of school leavers due to the low birth rate prevailing for years.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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