Profit and environment go hand in hand for winners
Northland farmers Geoff and Jo Crawford have a simple mantra: put as much milk in the vat in the best environmental way possible.
Tauranga dairy farmers Dennis, Judith and Gordon McFetridge were Supreme Winners of the 2013 Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA), the first of this year’s round of regional awards announced. A field day will be held on their farm March 26.
Canterbury’s awards night is next on the BFEA agenda, March 21, followed by Northland March 27, Waikato April 3, Southland April 10, Otago April 12, and Greater Wellington April 18. The National Sustainability Showcase involving all nine regions’ Supreme winners is in Hamilton, June 22.
According to the latest Federated Farmers banking survey, farmers are more satisfied with their bank and less under pressure, however, the sector is well short of confidence levels seen last decade.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.