Damien O’Connor: NZ united on global trade
When it comes to international trade, politicians from all sides of the aisle are united, says Labour's trade spokesman Damien O'Connor.
The Hound hears Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor recently had a crack at the banks, calling them “fair weather friends” of the farming sector who are currently putting undue pressure on the rural sector.
Now, your old mate is no friend of the banks, but he suggests that – like any business, mortgage holder or person – those farmers who are heavily indebted and finding it hard to pay loans will come under scrutiny from the banks.
However, if O’Connor was serious about being a ‘friend’ of the farming sector he wouldn’t be advocating things like the proposed freshwater reforms, farming in the ETS, taxes on fertiliser and a myriad of things his government has done to make life more difficult for farmers, forcing them to rely on the banks for more financial support.
The minister should be looking in the mirror before throwing rocks at others!
New Zealand's diverse cheesemaking talent shone brightly last night as the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) crowned the champions of the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards.
Tracing has indicated that the source of the first velvetleaf find of the 2025-26 crop season, in Auckland, was likely maize purchased in the Waikato region.
Fish & Game New Zealand has announced its election priorities in its Manifesto 2026.
With the forage maize harvest started in Northland and the Waikato, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is telling growers of later crops, or those further south, to start checking their maize crop maturity about three weeks prior to when they think they will start silage harvesting.
Irrigation NZ is warning that the government's Resource Management Act (RMA) reform risks falling short of its objectives unless water use for food production and water storage infrastructure are clearly recognised in the goals at the top of the new system.
More than five million trays, or 18,000 tonnes, of Zespri’s RubyRed Kiwifruit will soon be available for consumers across 16 markets this season.

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