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.
David Anderson reflects on the agri-sector as he steps down from his editor’s role.
OPINION: In 1991, freshly graduated from a journalism course – after a period farming, shearing and working in the meat processing industry – I walked into the offices of Rural News. I was lucky enough to secure a job as a junior reporter as the fledgling publication that was in the process of changing, with the aim of tackling the real issues affecting the country’s all-important rural sector.
My first editor, the indomitable Ron Clark, was a true newspaper man who believed that NZ’s farming sector lacked serious coverage of the issues that it faced, and that Rural News was the perfect outlet to do this. Backed all the way by publisher Brian Hight, what was created then still exists today: Covering the good, bad and ugly of NZ’s agribusiness sector – without fear or favour – just reporting on the news happening in the rural sector.
Ironically, my rural journalism career began with a new National-led government picking up the pieces of a shattered economy and severely depressed rural sector hit by major reforms, in the aftermath of six years of a Labour-led government. Labour had been voted in on a high promise of fine ideas, great words and led by a charismatic leader, who ended up quitting and running halfway through its second term.
Around the same time, farmers were unhappy with the producer boards and the fact they could not even vote directly for their own representatives. They changed the system, believing it would see much better voter turnout and higher quality representation. Fast forward to today, and a mere 12% of red meat producers bothered to vote at the latest Beef+Lamb NZ annual meeting.
Another big change was the painful formation of Fonterra from the proliferation of numerous dairy co-ops dotted throughout the country into one of the biggest and most successful dairy companies in the world.
It is impossible to summarise more than 30 years of this dynamic sector’s events and happenings in a few words. However, what I can say is that things will continue to change, farmers will adapt and the industry will survive and thrive.
It’s been an absolute privilege to have played a small role in NZ’s most important and vibrant sector.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand says it is seeing strong farmer interest in its newly launched nProve Beef genetics tool, with early feedback and usage insights confirming its value in helping farmers make better breeding decisions and drive genetic improvement in New Zealand's beef herd.
The Innovation Awards at June's National Fieldays showcased several new ideas, alongside previous entries that had reached commercial reality.
To assist the flower industry in reducing waste and drive up demand, Wonky Box has partnered with Burwood to create Wonky Flowers.
Three new directors are joining Horticulture New Zealand’s board from this month.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will leave the door wide open for continued conversions of productive sheep and beef farms into carbon forestry.
Federated Farmers says a report to Parliament on the subject of a ban on carbon forestry does not go far enough to prevent continued farm to forestry conversions.
OPINION: Your old mate reckons townie Brooke van Velden, the Minister of Workplace (or is it Woke Place) Relations is…
OPINION: There's an infamous term coined by a US general during the Vietnam war, specifically in reference to the battle…