Be afraid
OPINION: Your old mate hears some of the recent uptick in farmer confidence has slipped since the political polls started leading a bit to the left, away from the current coalition of National, Act and NZ First.
OPINION: This old mutt reckons it doesn’t take long for farmer directors to get their noses well and truly in the trough when they get elected to levy organisation boards.
Take, for example, Beef+Lamb director Kate Acland, who was only elected on to the BLNZ board back in March 2021. She has now packed her bags for her first post-Covid overseas jolly – care of farmer levypayers.
Acland was joined by BLNZ chair Andrew Morrison, chief executive Sam McIvor and policy manager Dave Harrison on an all-expenses-paid trip to the EU and UK, described as “a whistle-stop tour meeting agricultural counterparts, farmers, government officials and politicians in the UK and the EU in support of further developing New Zealand’s relationships”.
Oh, and the trip also manages to squeeze in “celebrations” to mark the Meat Board Centenary, with events in London and Brussels. Nice for some!
A brilliant result and great news for growers and regional economies. That's how horticulture sector leaders are describing the news that sector exports for the year ended June 30 will reach $8.4 billion - an increase of 19% on last year and is forecast to hit close to $10 billion in 2029.
Funding is proving crucial for predator control despite a broken model reliant on the goodwill of volunteers.
A major milestone on New Zealand's unique journey to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis could come before the end of this year.
We're working through it, and we'll get to it.
The debate around New Zealand's future in the Paris Agreement is heating up.
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.