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OPINION: Meanwhile, red blooded Northland politician Matua Shane Jones has provided one of the most telling quotes of the year thus far.
Replacing his mining hard-hat with his Fisheries Minister hat, Jones has beat a quick political retreat after being blindsided by the backlash from the recreational fishing community after proposing to let commercial operators land and sell dead marlin bycatch.
Reminding us that it is election year, Jones was surprisingly honest about it: “A good politician has to know how to pivot” adding “The reality is that we’ve got to prioritise our efforts in an election year”.
The lesson here for the farming community is that, in election year, politicians are very susceptible to a bit of arm twisting, or negative publicity that might cost them a few votes and risk tipping them out of the trough when the public heads to the polls!
Beef + Lamb New Zealand says the National Party’s agriculture plan provides a strong basis for lifting productivity, supporting rural communities and recognising the sheep and beef sector’s environmental track record.
National’s pledge to introduce 19 new national standards shows the party is serious about getting Wellington out of farming, Federated Farmers says.
Farmer-owned fertiliser company, Ballance Agri Nutrients is welcoming National’s plan to negotiate security agreements with key supplier countries to protect New Zealand-bound products from export restrictions and greater supply chain certainty.
With a general election under five weeks away, Rural News is asking major political parties about their policies and positions on key issues facing the primary sector. We will run their responses to each question over the next four weeks. The ACT Party and the Greens didn't respond in time.
The Minister for Rural Communities, Mark Patterson, says there's a massive infrastructure deficit in rural areas.
Farmers are being encouraged to rethink how they manage waste on farm with the launch of ruralwastesorted.co.nz, a new website bringing together practical tips, real farmer experiences and resources.
New Zealand Winegrowers (NZW) is celebrating the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) coming into force today, bringing New Zealand wine improved access to one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
New Zealand’s red meat sector has welcomed the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement taking effect, which removes India’s 33% tariff on New Zealand sheepmeat.
More than 95 per cent of New Zealand’s forestry and wood exports to India can now enter tariff free as the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement comes into force today.
Federated Farmers is backing Feilding High School’s call to keep Agriculture and Horticultural Science as a standalone subject in Year 11.
Food and fibre exports have returned a billion- dollar bonus to the country.
