SNA rules suspended - farmers happy, environmentalists outraged
The Coalition Government has suspended the controversial Significant Natural Areas (SNA) rules, bringing joy to farmers and an angry reaction from environmental watchdogs.
OPINION: An email from Fed Farmers' president Andrew Hoggard to Ag Minister Damien O'Connor saying some unkind things about the Groundswell movement - before its big countrywide protest in July - was recently released to a media outfit under an Official Information Act (OIA) request.
This has put Feds in a bad light and helped drive a wedge between it and Groundswell.
The Hound suggests this was a deliberate, Machiavellian move by O'Connor to foster ag sector infighting and take the heat off his government's imposition of numerous anti-farming regulations.
It turns out that O'Connor (and PM Ardern) refused to release other communications about Groundswell in the same OIA request, "to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to Ministers of the Crown or members of an organisation..."
The Climate Change Commission wants the new Government to reduce NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction volumes as son as possible.
Southland-based Mataura Valley Milk can now lay claim to be the first all-electric dairy factory in New Zealand.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
Meat co-operative Alliance Group has bagged four gold medals at the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards, achieving top honours for every cut entered.
There is increasing evidence that dairy demand is on the upswing, according to Rabobank senior agricultural analyst Emma Higgins.
Fertiliser use in New Zealand over the 18 months is about 25% down from what it consistently was for the previous decade or more, says Ravensdown chief operating officer Mike Whitty.
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