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: Your canine crusader notes that the Reserve Bank forecasts that more than 80% of beef and sheep farmers would be unprofitable if any future emissions pricing on carbon dioxide equivalent hit $150 per tonne.
It says 82% of sheep and beef operations would be in the red and nearly half of dairy farms would also be unprofitable.
These figures came after stress testing undertaken by banks, who were tasked by the Reverse Bank to look at what any potential price between $15/t and $150/t meant for farmers’ bottom lines.
Your old mate suggest these figures will be a nasty wake-up call for the incoming National government as it looks to put in place a pricing system by 2030.
It is also a reminder to those proponents of taxing ag emissions about what the real cost to the country would be.
As they say, it is hard to be green when you are in the red!
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.