New CEO for wood processors
Mark Ross has started in his new role as chief executive of the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of NZ (WPMA).
Agcarm reminds all farm and pet owners of their responsibility to care for the welfare of their animals in recognition of World Animal Day on October 4.
As part of this responsibility, farmers and pet owners can help prevent disease by keeping their animals well fed, physically comfortable, ensuring good husbandry on the farm and by following careful hygiene practices. Owners must also protect their animals by seeking early diagnosis and treatment of infectious, parasitic and metabolic diseases including lameness and traumatic injuries.
Agcarm chief executive Mark Ross says “caring for our animals is not just an ethical and moral responsibility, it’s a legal one too”.
“Prevention and early treatment of disease is crucial to the wellbeing of an animal, as it is to feed and shelter them.”
Vaccination is an effective, convenient and easy way to protect animals against many infectious diseases. By safely stimulating an animal’s immune system against a specific disease, the animal has a defence against it, if it is exposed to that disease later in life.
But because bacteria and other microbes are found everywhere, it is virtually impossible to prevent animals coming into contact with organisms that can cause disease.
Antibiotics are necessary to fight bacterial infections in farm animals. Inflammatory conditions like mastitis and lameness are extremely painful for animals.
Antibiotics also help control a range of painful bacterial conditions in pets such as ear, skin, respiratory and bladder infections.
As far back as records show, people have had strong relationships with animals and have often been dependent on them. In return, we all have a responsibility to respect and care for our animal species by preventing and treating disease. Owners now also have a legal obligation to avoid suffering.
Agcarm advocates the responsible use of all veterinary medicines to care and maintain the health and wellbeing of all animals.
Agcarm recognises World Animal Day in raising the status of animals by improving welfare standards for animals around the world.
World Animal Day presents a wonderful opportunity for everyone who cares about animals to be seen standing united with animal advocates around the globe, in order to heighten awareness of animal issues.
Legal controls on the movement of fruits and vegetables are now in place in Auckland’s Mt Roskill suburb, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
Arable growers worried that some weeds in their crops may have developed herbicide resistance can now get the suspected plants tested for free.
Fruit growers and exporters are worried following the discovery of a male Queensland fruit fly in Auckland this week.
Dairy prices have jumped in the overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, breaking a five-month negative streak.
Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese is leaving the company after three years in the role.
A booklet produced in 2025 by the Rotoiti 15 trust, Department of Conservation and Scion – now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – aims to help people identify insect pests and diseases.

OPINION: The release of the Natural Environment Bill and Planning Bill to replace the Resource Management Act is a red-letter day…
OPINION: Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, swapping ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ for ‘The Twelve Pests of Christmas’ to…