HortNZ Welcomes Plant Variety Rights Amendments for Growers and Breeders
Horticulture New Zealand says proposed changes to the Plant Variety Rights Act 2022 will drive innovation, investment and long-term productivity.
Your old mate is unsurprised at how much arrogance is taking over Government MPs – after only one year in power.
A good example is when Horticulture NZ recently made a submission on proposed new employment laws and the negative impact these would have on growers and their businesses. Hort NZ chief executive Mike Chapman says he was surprised by the antics of Labour MP Kieran McAnulty who dismissed the organisation’s concerns as “utter nonsense”.
Chapman says Hort NZ submitters were left speechless when they were told they did not understand what the Bill proposes. However, the Hound is not surprised. He reckons the “utter nonsense” is that an arrogant little twit like McAnulty gets to sit in Parliament and make stupid laws that impact on employers and people trying to run businesses.
The fundamentals of the beef and lamb sector are sound, despite some challenges on the horizon, says Beef+Lamb NZ chair Kate Acland.
For the third season in a row, Fonterra farmers are in for a farmgate milk price near $10/kgMS.
The chief executive of Apples and Pears New Zealand, Danielle Adsett, says fruit quality this year is phenomenal and the sector is hitting crop estimates, which is great for growers.
Centre right parties are backing policy positions pushed by three farmer lobby groups ahead of the general election.
Waikato agribusiness leader Geoff Maber has been appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours.
Potatoes New Zealand and Garden to Table have partnered together to celebrate a versatile vegetable and the people behind it.

OPINION: The old saying 'a new broom sweeps clean' doesn't always hold up, if you ask the Hound.
OPINION: This old mutt went to school to eat his lunch, but still knows the future of the country, and…