MPI’s Diana Reaich: Building global trade relationships
Relationships are key to opening new trading opportunities and dealing with some of the rules that countries impose that impede the free flow of trade.
The pest plant velvetleaf should be high on cropping farmers’ minds over the next few months.
The Ministry for Primary Industries recently sent out an alert to this effect – go to www.mpi.govt.nz/alerts
Environment Canterbury principal management advisor biosecurity Laurence Smith says left to spread, this invasive pest can quickly impact crops, severely reducing yield and grazing capacity, and impose high costs through lost productivity, increased stock management and lost income.
Velvetleaf was introduced to New Zealand as a contaminant in fodder beet seed from Europe in 2015.
“With over 500 farms having received at least one of the six affected seed lines in Canterbury, there is a real risk of spread both within and to other properties,” Smith said.
“Not all plants will have been found so it is highly likely seed will have matured and contributed to a seed bank in the soil.
“Farmers will need to be vigilant this season, which runs until May. They should search crops to prevent seeding and make sure seed is not spread by stock, vehicles and machinery.”
MPI is managing the velvetleaf incursion response nationally and is assisting farmers with information and advice.
Environment Canterbury, in partnership with MPI, is helping affected farmers formulate plans to manage the pest and prevent its spread. “Your farm management plan should include on-farm biosecurity so preventing the spread of velvetleaf and other pests is top of mind at all times,” Smith says.
“Farmers can implement farm biosecurity measures on their land by making sure they are notified when people intend to enter their property and implementing hygiene protocols such as checking and cleaning machines and vehicles.”
If you have found velvetleaf or would like more information, contact the Ministry for Primary Industries on 0800 80 99 66.
For free farm biosecurity signs for your property contact Environment Canterbury at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Two rural data organisations - DairyNZ’s DairyBase and Farm Focus - have formed a new partnership that aims to remove data duplication and help provide more timely, useful benchmarking insights for farmers.
BNZ says it is backing aspiring dairy farmers through an innovative new initiative that helps make the first step to farm ownership or sharemilking a little easier.
LIC chief executive David Chin says meeting the revised methane reduction targets will rely on practical science, smart technology, and genuine collaboration across the sector.
Lincoln University Dairy Farm will be tweaking some management practices after an animal welfare complaint laid in mid-August, despite the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) investigation into the complaint finding no cause for action.
A large slice of the $3.2 billion proposed capital return for Fonterra farmer shareholders could end up with the banks.
Opening a new $3 million methane research barn in Waikato this month, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay called on the dairy sector to “go as fast as you can and prove the concepts”.

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