Editorial: No joking matter
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
OPINION: The Hound was not surprised to hear well-known end-of-the-world doom-merchant ‘Dr’ Mike Joy is still as joyless as ever about the state of NZ.
The Victoria University ‘academic’ recently published an article on the ever-so-woke Wellington-insider website Newsroom, begging the new Government to end dairy farming.
“I am convinced in the future we will look back and see dairy production in the way we do it now is the worst possible land use for this country,” Joy opined.
“As for the industry’s ‘backbone of the economy’ rhetoric, it simply does not bear scrutiny. When the externalities are included in analyses, dairy farming adds up to a negative outcome for all New Zealanders.”
It appears ‘Dr’ Joy seems to forget that the export income earned by the country’s dairy sector pays for things like schools, hospitals and, oh yes … universities!
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.
Against all the odds, the primary sector has turned in a stellar performance with export returns for 2026 hitting $64.3 billion - up 6% on the previous year.
Farmers and growers are powering the economy with export revenue at record highs.