Silver Fern Farms roadshow highlights global demand
The second event in the Silver Fern Farms ‘Pasture to Plate Roadshow’ landed in Feilding last week, headed by chair and King Country farmer, Anna Nelson, and chief executive Dan Boulton.
OPINION: A long-time Silver Fern Farm supplier tells yours truly that he and other SFF shareholders are less than impressed by a recent dictate from the meat co-op’s chair Rob Hewett.
Apparently, Rob – “I don’t care where, as long as I am chair” – Hewett recently penned an email to SFF suppliers telling them to basically ‘suck it up’ and ‘get used to the idea of paying emissions for their livestock’ and this was the ‘reality of farming’.
However, as the Hound’s mate says: What would Hewett know about the reality of farming and having to rely solely on the income a farm generates?
He reckons with all Hewett’s various directorships and chairing of several boards and the amount of off-farm income he earns every year, he would have no idea of what the average, run-of the mill farmer thinks.
A very fair point, this old mutt would have thought!
Waikato dairy farmer Neil Bateup, made a companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in the New Year 2026 Honours list, says he’s grateful for the award.
Another Australian state has given the green light to virtual fencing, opening another market for Kiwi company Halter.
Farmer interest continues to grow as a Massey University research project to determine the benefits or otherwise of the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep is underway. The project is five years in and has two more years to go. It was done mainly in the light of low wool prices and the cost of shearing. Peter Burke recently went along to the annual field day held Massey's Riverside farm in the Wairarapa.
Applications are now open for the 2026 NZI Rural Women Business Awards, set to be held at Parliament on 23 July.
Ravensdown has announced a collaboration with Kiwi icon, Footrot Flats in an effort to bring humour, heart, and connection to the forefront of the farming sector.
Forest & Bird's Kiwi Conservation Club is inviting New Zealanders of all ages to embrace the outdoors with its Summer Adventure Challenges.

OPINION: The release of the Natural Environment Bill and Planning Bill to replace the Resource Management Act is a red-letter day…
OPINION: Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, swapping ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ for ‘The Twelve Pests of Christmas’ to…