Farmer fury
OPINION: The new Labour Government in the UK is facing the wrath of farmers. Last week thousands of farmers and their supporters converged in London protesting changes to inheritance tax for farmers announced in the Budget.
An increase in the use of trackers is enabling UK police to recover 100s of 1000s of pounds worth of stolen machinery.
According to FarmingUK, Police Scotland recovered £893,000 (NZ $1.72 million) worth of tractors, quad bikes and other farm machinery in 2019.
Such recoveries are continuing into 2020, with £400,000 (NZ $770,000), or 130 vehicles, recovered in the first four months of the year.
FarmingUK says according to insurance provider NFU Mutual, farmers are increasingly using Construction and Agricultural Equipment Security and Registration (CESAR) markings and fitting tracking systems approved by British Insurance research house, Thatcham.
CESAR was established in 2008 as an official construction and agricultural equipment security and registration scheme to prevent theft.
The scheme, paid for by farmers with a one-off cost, offers Datatag ID technologies, a 24/7 UK Contact Centre, and instant access to its database by police.
Scotland Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC) coordinator Alan Dron says farmers’ increased uptake in the scheme has been fundamental in helping police to recover stolen machinery.
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that events over the last few weeks have highlighted the importance of a strong biosecurity system.
In its submission on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act, DairyNZ says its levy-paying members invested more than $60 million across the biosecurity system last year, through multiple biosecurity levies across several entities and legislative frameworks to collect this funding.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has received 136 submissions on proposed amendments to the Biosecurity Act.
Nick Beeby has been appointed as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).
Global beef supply will contract this year for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Rabobank.
Changes to migrant visa settings announced last month should take a lot of pressure off farmers in the new season, says Federated Farmers immigration spokesman Richard McIntyre.
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