Strange bedfellows
OPINION: Two types of grifters have used the sale of Fonterra's consumer brands as a platform to push their own agendas - under the guise of 'caring about the country'.
OPINION: The Hound sees Greenpeace is still demanding the demise of farming in this country.
It's now calling on the NZ Government to follow its Dutch counterpart and cull our country's livestock numbers by one third.
Greenpeace claims it would 'only' cost $12 billion to buy out what it describes as 'industrial' dairy farms.
This comes hot on the heels of a recent MPI report showing that the dairy and sheep & beef sectors alone will earn NZ well in excess of $30 billion next year.
So, going by this old mutt's back of the envelope calculation, Greenpeace's dream of killing 33% of NZ's livestock would cost a mere $22 billion in year 1 - in actual costs plus the lost export earnings - and at least $10 billion (and growing) every year after that!
How do these masterminds expect the country to pay its $100 billion of debt without every possible dollar of export revenue coming from our farming sector?
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay is encouraging farmers and growers to stay up to date with weather warnings and seek support should they need it.
The closure of SH2 Waioweka Gorge could result in significant delays and additional costs for freight customers around the Upper North Island, says Transporting New Zealand.
OPINION: The year has started positively for New Zealand dairy farmers and things are likely to get better.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General Ray Smith believes there is potential for an increase in dairy farming in New Zealand.
New Zealand's new Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, Horowhenua dairy farmer, company director and former Minister of Agriculture, Nathan Guy says the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India is a good deal for the country.
New figures show dairy farmers are not only holding on to their international workforce, but are also supporting those staff to step into higher-skilled roles on farm.

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