LeaderBrand Leads with AI Innovation
Major New Zealand fresh produce grower is tapping AI to manage weeds on one of its farms.
The Ministry for Primary Industries is seeking public views on possible changes to the Horticulture Export Authority (HEA) Act.
The HEA provides a voluntary mechanism for horticulture industries to jointly fund and organise activities that support successful exporting, such as quality assurance, promotion and marketing.
Export earnings for industries currently using the HEA totalled $264.6 million in 2012.
MPI is seeking feedback on some specific issues identified in consultation with the sector.
"A recent independent review showed that the HEA remains popular with small export-based horticultural industries," says MPI forestry and plant sector policy manager Lisa Winthrop.
"But we have identified some opportunities to make the HEA more functional, useful, effective and efficient, and possibly reduce compliance costs, as well as updating some provisions."
The four key areas where feedback is sought are: enabling different markets to have different programmes; clarifying entry and exit procedures; questioning whether licence application assessment criteria are adequate; and questioning whether enforcement and penalty provisions are adequate.
The consultation will be open for public submissions until 5pm on Friday, February 15, 2013.
For further information, see
http://www.mpi.govt.nz/news-resources/consultations/review-of-the-nz-horticulture-export-authority-act
The New Zealand red meat sector has signed an open letter to parliamentarians from BusinessNZ, urging swift ratification of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Wools of New Zealand is joining calls for New Zealand to urgently ratify a Free Trade Agreement with India.
Fonterra says Richard Allen will succeed Miles Hurrell as its new chief executive.
Cyclone Vaianu is continuing its track south towards the Bay of Plenty, bringing with it destructive winds, heavy rain, and large swells, says Metservice.
While Cyclone Vaianu remains off the East Coast of New Zealand, the Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group says impacts have been felt overnight.
A Local State of Emergency has been declared for the Waikato for a period of seven days as the region prepares for Cyclone Vaianu to hit the area.

OPINION: If you ask this old mutt, the choice at the next election isn't shaping up as a contest of…
OPINION: A mate of yours says we're long overdue for a reckoning on what value farmers really get for the…