Minister raises tariffs dispute
Trade Minister Todd McClay has used a meeting of the CPTPP hosted by Canada to take that country to task for defiantly refusing to open up its dairy market to NZ.
The Hound, like most rational people in NZ’s primary and export sectors, was delighted to see the much maligned and denigrated trade agreement of the past few years – the CPTPP, formerly known as the TPP – come into force this month.
Your old mate would like to tip his hat to current trade minister David Parker for finally getting the deal over the line and into action, as well as the former trade ministers in the previous government – Tim Groser and Todd McClay. However, your old mate still finds it hard to believe that the same David Parker who finally signed off the deal was the David Parker (in opposition) who rallied and marched against the very same deal. Thankfully the reality of government and some minor tweaking of the TPP text has led Parker and others now sitting on the Treasury benches on their road to Damascus.
OPINION: Farmers are being put on notice by the Green Party.
As dairy farmers lock in plans for the upcoming mating season, a partnership between Fonterra and Silver Fern Farms has been formed with the aim of making it simpler to create additional value from calves not entering the replacement herd.
Farmers can now get a more reliable view of pasture covers across their farm, thanks to a combination of three data sources.
A warning to dairy farmers not to expect the same good conditions that they experienced last season, has been issued by a leading farm consultant.
South Waikato farmer Bas Nelis is always interested in fine-tuning his business to improve results.
On a farm in Tikorangi, North Taranaki, Brent Stevenson is sharemilking 1,400 cows.

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