PC1 Pause Looms as Coalition Targets Waikato Farm Rules
A pause on Waikato Regional Council's (WRC) plan change that sets new freshwater rules for farming could be announced in the coming weeks.
Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard was back on his dairy farm in Manawatu this summer break - his unique way of winding down
While many MPs have been busy taking holidays in maybe exotic places, for Andrew Hoggard it's back to his old job as a dairy farmer during the so-called 'summer break'.
He says he's been using the time to fill in for his staff as they take their holidays, but some of his plans have been thwarted by the rain which has been something of a constant in the Manawatu.
He says he planned to reinstate some fences that got taken down when he had new staff accommodation built on the property. But he says doing carpentry with power tools in the wet was not a goer and his plans were running behind schedule.
But the transition from Feds to Parliament has allowed Hoggard to indulge in politics for a little longer.
He admits that life without some involvement in politics would have driven him 'stir crazy' and forced him to watch TV news and scream at the television.
Parliament is described by some as a 'zoo' and Hoggard has his own unique way of winding down after a week in it.
"I call it tractor therapy - recreational cultivation - something that involves me going around and around in circles on the tractor. After spending all week listening to the screaming and squealing from across the aisle in Parliament, it's good to listen to the diesel engine just purring away," he says.
A leading British farming politician says he's impressed with the positive attitude of New Zealand farmers that he met during his recent trip here.
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
The Southern Dairy Hub (SDH), which runs a demonstration farm for South Island farmers, has a new general manager.
Esther Guy-Meakin has been announced as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).
According to a progress report on the Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan (AHAP), New Zealand's horticulture sector is making real progress on the big issues facing growers.
A team effort that is paying dividends for the wider New Zealand economy.

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