Editorial: Getting RMA settings right
OPINION: The Government has been seeking industry feedback on its proposed amendments to a range of Resource Management Act (RMA) national direction instruments.
OPINION: Beef + Lamb NZ's annual meeting will be an interesting affair this year in a number of ways.
The meeting is being held in New Plymouth on March 30 and has garnered a record nine remits from levy payers.
The nine remits range from a demand for B+LNZ to immediately exit He Waka Eke Noa, an independent review of B+LNZ advocacy, change to weighted levy voting, asking for clarity on the role of the Farmer Council and a request for advocacy from the sheep and beef sector in the first instance.
Another key point of interest will be the results of the director election for the Southern South Island ward. This has seen current B+LNZ chair Andrew Morrison face a stiff challenge from fellow Southland farmer Geoff Young.
Like many of the remits proposed, the director election contest is seen as a challenge to the B+LNZ status quo and a demand for change.
This would all indicate that there could be blood on the floor at this year's AGM. However, history has shown a dismal lack of engagement in voting by red meat levypayers in the past - something around the 20-30% mark is the standard - and nothing indicates any change on this front this year.
Farmers only have themselves to blame if they fail to vote and engage in their industry's democratic process.
It is a bit rich for levypayers to complain about the work of B+LNZ when they can't even be bothered voting for who they put on the board of the organisation or the remits asking for change.
Undoubtedly there is a feeling of discontent among some farmers about B+LNZ's advocacy on a number of issues and the remits put up at this year's AGM are proof of this.
However, the voting results will show if this feeling is widespread among red meat farmers or just fanned by a bunch of malcontents who do not represent the majority.
B+LNZ levypayers need to remember, you get what you vote - or don't vote - for!
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
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