NZ growers lead freshwater compliance
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says that commercial fruit and vegetable growers are getting ahead of freshwater farm plan regulations through its Growing Change project.
Taylor Leabourn, a 28-year-old agronomist at LeaderBrand, has been named the 2023 Pukekohe Young Grower of the Year.
The competition, which took place 19 May, tested the vegetable and fruit-growing knowledge of eight contestants along with the skills needed to be successful growers.
Competitors completed modules in marketing, compliance, pest and disease identification, safe tractor driving, finance, soil and fertilisers, irrigation, and quality control.
Leabourn says he came into the competition wanting to learn more and enjoy the day while seeing where his skill set was.
“It came as quite a nice surprise,” he says of his win. “We had a really good number of contestants this year, and a really diverse group with a mixture of outdoor vegetables, glasshouse, and fruit experience – a really good group of people. We had a lot of fun.”
Despite feeling unsure of his performance in the finance module, Leabourn also took the best theory and best business awards.
“The finance was a bit daunting for me having only done it very briefly in my first year at university. Marketing is a whole different world for me, I’ve never done anything similar to that,” Leabourn says.
“I put a lot of work into the marketing in particular so I was pretty happy to get that result.”
Leabourn will compete on his home ground at the national Young Grower of the Year final in Pukekohe on 4-5 October. He will be competing against five other regional finalists.
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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