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OPINION: As the country endures yet another lockdown in the battle against Covid, a nasty undercurrent appears to be rearing its head.
It is not mass dissent in the streets and people deliberately flouting the rules. In fact, the vast majority of New Zealand's population has been remarkably compliant and done the right thing.
Despite the overall - health - success of the country's fight against Covid, there are genuine questions about aspects of the Government’s response. Be that the leaky border, the awful rate of the vaccine rollout, concerns about vaccine supply, the economic damage of lockdowns and just exactly how truthful the information we’re getting during the daily sermon – 1 pm press conferences – from the ‘pulpit of truth’.
However, when anyone does pose such questions they tend to be shouted down – usually by self-important, partisan critics on social media with too much time on their hands – for not being part of the ‘team of 5 million’ or ‘playing politics’ with peoples’ lives.
The reality is that if these same critics believe that the Government is not ‘playing politics’ with the way it is handling the Covid response, they are either naïve or being deliberately deceptive. All governments are political!
Unfortunately, a similar undercurrent of shouting down genuine criticism seems to be occurring in the agriculture sector.
Even blind Freddy can see that many of the rules and regulations currently being imposed or proposed on the farming sector from government are neither practical nor workable. Industry bodies claim they are ‘working’ with the Government and need to be ‘at the table’ so that can effect change. That is well and good. But this does, and should, not stop questions and criticisms of the efforts and success of these bodies getting practical and workable changes.
Yet, we see self-professed ‘experts’ and ‘professionals’— usually not farmers and with little or no skin in the game – criticising those who dare to ask such questions.
What is this about?
It is a sad state of affairs when debate and discussion in our sector is being shut down because it does not suit some peoples’ agendas. Surely we live in a democracy, not some dictatorship ruled by keyboard warriors and socalled industry authorities?
In fact, questioning and debate is the sign of a strong, vibrant and health sector. Long may it continue.
OPINION: Welcome to the second annual NZ Dairy Expo at Matamata – an event created to bring together the best of the New Zealand dairy industry in a focused, grassroots environment where dairy farmers and rural professionals can meet, talk, compare products, and make smart decisions for their farms.
It's a bloody tough year for sheep farmers, but the worst may be over, and the future looks optimistic.
One of the country’s two largest supermarket chains is reporting that for the first time since the disruption of Covid, they have largely full supply on almost all fruit and vegetables grown locally.
Covid-19 took global shipping rates to mind boggling highs, but over the subsequent 12-15 months they returned to more sustainable levels. Fast forward to July 2024 and rates have nearly doubled over three months.
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) chief executive Nadine Tunley says the industry-good body’s support for growers has proven to be multifaceted.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
OPINION: The world is bracing for a trade war between the two biggest economies.
