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.
OPINION: Your canine crusader suggests hopes for a change in some of the anti-farming government policies will not be helped by the clear dearth of farming experience and lack of rural knowledge in the ranks of the current Labour administration.
This has been made abundantly clear by its choice of chair and deputy of the primary production select committee.
The Hound reckons that while Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor remains the only member of the current Government with any actual farming background and understanding and have his work cut now with the addition of the huge trade portfolio to manage.
Meanwhile, O’Connor will get bugger all real world advice from the new chair of the primary production select committee Jo Luxton, a former playcentre teacher, or her deputy, former union delegate, and newbie MP Steph Lewis. God help us!
As New Zealand marks the United Nations’ International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 (IYWF 2026), industry leaders are challenging the misconception that women only support farming.
Fonterra’s impending exit from the Australian dairy industry is a major event but the story doesn’t change too much for farmers.
Expect greater collaboration between Massey University’s school of Agriculture and Environment and Ireland’s leading agriculture university, the University College of Dublin (UCD), in the future.
A partnership between Torere Macadamias Ltd and the Riddet Institute aims to unlock value from macadamia nuts while growing the next generation of Māori agribusiness researchers.
A new partnership between Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) and NZAgbiz aims to make evidence-based calf rearing practices accessible to all farm teams.
Despite some trying circumstances recently, the cherry season looks set to emerge on top of things.

OPINION: Here w go: the election date is set for November 7 and the politicians are out of the gate…
OPINION: ECan data was released a few days ago showing Canterbury farmers have made “giant strides on environmental performance”.