Election 2026: Rural Lobby Groups Challenge Parties on Agriculture Policy
Three farmer lobby groups are applying the blowtorch to political parties on key issues facing the primary sector ahead of the general elections.
OPINION: When Groundswell showed up in the 'advocacy hub' at Fieldays alongside the same groups that brought you He Waka Eke Noa, the Hound feared the ginger group had been brought into the woke fold and given the old rubber ring.
Fear not though, they seem to have their mojo intact, raising the alarm about the Gore District Plan, now out for consultation, which proposes to classify the entire Gore District under part of Section 6 of the RMA.
In this case, iwi could claim the entire district as 'sites of significance' - a massive overreach.
Groundswell notes this might sound like an issue in just one part of the country, "but this sort of thing is being pushed across the country and the stakes are enormous. Your council could, and quite possibly will, be next".
OPINION: After two long years of hardship, things are looking up for New Zealand red meat farmers.
A casualty of the storm that hit the Bay of Plenty recently was the cancelation of a field day at a leading Māori kiwifruit orchard at Te Puke.
Michael Wentworth has joined the team at Mission Estate Winery, filling the "big shoes" of former Chief Executive Peter Holley, who resigned in September last year, after almost 30 years running the storied Napier venue.
Some arable farmers are getting out of arable and converting to dairy in the faced of soaring fuel and fertiliser prices on top of a very poor growing season.
The New Zealand seed industry has reached a significant milestone with the completion and approval of the new seed certification system.
New Zealand's persimmon season will kick off early this year, with fruit set to hit shelves soon.

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