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OPINION: This old mutt notes that rural ginger group Groundswell is turning the heat up on Beef+Lamb NZ and DairyNZ by calling for farmers to ask for their levies back from the hapless levy-funded organisations.
The group has set up a website asking beef & sheep and dairy farmers to 'demand your levy refund'.
"Sick of paying your levies, just to have the levy bodies fail to represent your interests in the advocacy they take to Wellington?" Groundswell asks. "The advocacy you pay for should be based on the feedback from grassroots farmers, rather than selling a predetermined agreement with Government back to farmers."
The Groundswell website allows farmers to invoice DairyNZ and Beef+Lamb for the portion of their levy both outfits spend on advocacy, which the group claims is about one third of the total farmers pay in levies.
OPINION: Bouquets this week from the old mutt for Fed Farmers and Groundswell for continuing to resist the proposed Gore District plan and its intention to apply costly "cultural values" across the district and a raft of land classifications that are unworkable and counterproductive.
New research is helping farmers better understand and manage fertility, with clearer tools and measures to support more robust, productive herds.
Technology and the use of artificial intelligence are increasingly part of life, both on the farm and off it.
North Canterbury farmer Adam Williamson has been appointed DairyNZ's associate director for 2026-27.
Fifth generation farmer Stu Muir believes dairy farming and conservation can go hand in glove.
New Zealand exports to the European Union have surged by $3 billion in two years under the New Zealand-European Union Free Trade Agreement.
A new joint investment of $1.2 million aims to accelerate farmer uptake of low-methane sheep genetics, one of the few emissions reduction tools available to New Zealand farmers.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has issued a stark warning about the global implications of the ongoing Gulf crisis.
Fonterra has announced interim changes to the leadership of its Global Ingredients business.
New Zealand agritech company Halter has announced unveiled a new direct-to-satellite technology solution for its smart collars for beef cattle, unlocking virtual fencing for some of the country's most remote farming regions.
Dairy Women's Network (DWN) has announced a new limited edition DWN Monopoly NZ Dairy Farming Edition, created to celebrate the people, places and seasons.
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