Too Lenient
OPINION: Reckless action by Greenpeace in 2024 forced Fonterra to shut down a drying plant for four hours, costing the co-op about $300,000.
OPINION: This old mutt reckons the climate alarmists at multi-national, tax-dodging, fundraising outfit Greenpeace should be delighted with news that NZ's sheep and dairy cow numbers are falling.
According to the screaming skulls at Greenpeace, all of this country's problems to do with fire, floods, and pestilence are because of farming - particularly livestock farming.
However, the latest Stats NZ figures shows there are now a lot fewer dairy cattle and sheep (down almost 1 million from 2020) on NZ farms.
This is outlined in the latest five-yearly Agricultural Production Census 2022, which was recently released.
It also shows the total number of dairy cattle was 6.1 million at June 2022 - 8% lower than in 2014, when the total dairy cattle herd peaked at 6.7 million.
You'd think Greenpeace would be shouting this big drop in livestock numbers from the hilltops.
North Canterbury farmer Adam Williamson has been appointed DairyNZ's associate director for 2026-27.
Fonterra farmers are set for a multi-billion-dollar payout this week.
The 2026 Holstein Friesian NZ Young Breeders Development Programme is off to a strong start, with this year's intake coming together for their first event on March 18 and 19.
State farmer Pāmu (Landcorp) has announced it will pay a $10 million special dividend to the Crown off the back of a strong outlook for the business and a capital repayment of $9.5 million following Fonterra's consumer business sale.
OPINION: As the fuel crisis hits the country and rural New Zealand in particular, perhaps it's time to turn to one of the kaumatua of the rural sector, Pita Alexander - farm accountant, advisor and a source of knowledge and insightfulness.
Katie Milne, former Federated Farmers president, has been announced as the National Party’s candidate for the West Coast-Tasman electorate.

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