Tuesday, 08 April 2025 10:11

'Terrible idea'

Written by The Hound

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

OPINION: With media putting so much effort into covering the issue of children not really liking the school lunch they never asked for in the first place, it's understandable they've paid little if any attention to the looming threat to the NZ economy - bird flu.

Since 2022, bird flu outbreaks have affected over 166 million birds in the US, making eggs more valuable than gold and crossing over to dairy cattle.

While the H5N1 strain has not yet infected humans, concerns remain.

The US has its 'best' people on it: US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. thinks farmers should "let it run through the flock" to identify birds with natural immunity.

Actual expert and a former state veterinarian Dr Gail Hansen says this is "a really terrible idea" that would give the virus "5 million chances" to mutate into a more dangerous form.

More like this

Bird Flu: Keep Distance, Wash Hands, Report It

OPINION: It's a tough pill to swallow that bird flu (avian influenza) has finally arrived in New Zealand. This is a moment many of us have hoped would never come.

True Reflection?

A fair question has been raised about how member-funded organisations should conduct themselves when taking a public position on any given issue.

Stuffed!

The canine crusader always has his nose in the air for more media maleficence, so was pointing as soon as he saw the Stuff headline: ‘Wellington residents respond to PM saying he doesn’t need his job!’.

Civil Circus!

OPINION: It really is getting harder to lampoon government bureaucrats when they do such a good job of it themselves.

Anyone in the primary sector will know about the clowns covering the countryside in the red tape we all have to wade through.

Spare a thought then for media outfit Stuff who were threatened with fines up to $200,000 by a snivelling civil servant from the MoH for illustrating a quiz question with a photo of part of the cover of a 45-year-old copy Playboy.

As Stuff notes, “It wasn’t the Playboy cover which caused offence. No, it was the back page which… featured an advert for a cigarette brand”.

As Regulations Minister David Seymour notes, “The real scandal here is, well, no wonder we’ve got problems in healthcare when they’re doing the Stuff quiz during work time.”

Ewe Zealand First

OPINION: After all the criticism that Winston Peters leveled at the India/NZ FTA, it seemed just a trifle ironic to the Hound that the first NZ politician to visit India after Prime Minister Modi's visit was a member of the Ewe Zealand First party.

Featured

Sharemilkers Credit DairyBase Tool for Staffing Decisions

Signing up to a benchmarking tool is not about competition, but about improving collectively, says Ximena Puig and Alvaro Luzardo who are 50-50 sharemilkers at a 164-hectare (effective) dairy farm in Eketāhuna in the Lower North Island.

UK Politician Alistair Carmichael Praises "Positive Spirit" of NZ Farmers

A leading British farming politician says he's impressed with the positive attitude of New Zealand farmers that he met during his recent trip here.

Editorial: Punching Above Our Weight

OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.

Southern Dairy Hub Appoints Greg Delaney as Acting General Manager

The Southern Dairy Hub (SDH), which runs a demonstration farm for South Island farmers, has a new general manager.

Esther Guy-Meakin Appointed Chief Executive of the NZ Meat Board

Esther Guy-Meakin has been announced as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).

AHAP Progress Report Shows NZ Horticulture Building Real Momentum

According to a progress report on the Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan (AHAP), New Zealand's horticulture sector is making real progress on the big issues facing growers.