HortNZ Welcomes $400 Million Boost for State Highway Resilience
Horticulture NZ says the funding boost to improve state highway resilience will support growers and strengthen the transport links they rely on to get produce to market.
OPINION: Central Hawke's Bay farmer Mark Warren recently told the Hawke's Bay Times it's time for a conversation about allowing skilled and properly equipped locals to help councils clear debris and reopen roads after severe weather events.
His inspiration was a Scottish local council that made BBC headlines by calling on individuals and communities to take more responsibility for their roads during weather events.
Warren reckons New Zealand needs to have the same attitude, and doing so would save ratepayers significantly.
"Ratepayers should be demanding efficiency and using local machinery on or near the spot to do critical work rather than forking out thousands for a contractor to come and do what a farmer could do in 10 minutes," he said.
Great idea, although it'll likely come a gutser as soon as the H&S clipboard carriers at the council get involved!
OPINION: The latest update from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) on the state of NZ's primary sector paints a positive picturee about its performance over the past 12 months.
The recently signed free trade agreement with India is an invitation to strengthen relationships between the New Zealand and Indian strong wool industries, says Wool Impact chief executive Andy Caughey.
Strengthening the voice of vegetable growers on "big ticket items" will be the immediate focus of newly formed New Zealand Vegetable Council (NZVeg), says inaugural chair Alison Stewart.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the red meat sector is doing an excellent job promoting our pasture-fed system around the globe.
The European Union ramped up its presence at this year's Fieldays.
Moves are underway to create a single organisation to represent the country's beekeepers.

OPINION: Central Hawke's Bay farmer Mark Warren recently told the Hawke's Bay Times it's time for a conversation about allowing…
OPINION: A nation that relies as heavily as NZ does on functional global shipping lanes will have to do its…