How do your wheat crops look this year? Average, good, great? United Wheatgrowers, Federated Farmers and New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association now invite entries from growers in the annual wheat awards. Crops harvested in 2021 are eligible for entry in the following classes: Premium milling wheat, milling wheat, gristing wheat, feed wheat, and […]
National
Hotter, drier, CRISPR: editing for climate change
Gene editing technology will play a vital role in climate-proofing future crops to protect global food supplies, according to scientists at The University of Queensland. Biotechnologist Dr Karen Massel from UQ’s Centre for Crop Science has published a review of gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 to safeguard food security in farming systems under stress from extreme and variable climate conditions. […]
Farmers help identify solutions to reduce farm footprint
New DairyNZ research shows farmers can identify ways to increase efficiency and reduce environmental footprint – but there will be challenges for some. The Greenhouse Gas Partnership Farms research project worked with farmers to identify and model how their farms might reduce both nitrogen loss and greenhouse gas emissions. “Making these gains will be the […]
Dairy Industry Opportunities with a Guarantee
By chair of the Sharemilker Farm Owners’ Section, John Numan The Sharemilker farm owners’ section of Federated Farmers and the Sharemilkers’ section frequently review the Federated Farmers employment contracts used for Contract Milkers, Lower Order Sharemilkers and Herd Owning Sharemilkers. As anyone who has used them will know, unfortunately, the contracts are lengthy as they […]
Top Māori dairy farm finalists announced
Three dairy farms spanning Hauraki and Eastern Bay of Plenty are the finalists in this year’s coveted Ahuwhenua Trophy, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced at Parliament today. They are Pouarua Farms of Ngātea, Tataiwhetu Trust south of Whakatāne, and Tunapahore B2A Incorporation of Ōpōtiki. “These dairy farms are shining examples of the long-standing commitment of […]
NZ Dairy is ready for a decade of change, opportunities
In his address as Chairperson to the Federated Farmers Dairy Council in Wellington on Tuesday, Wayne Langford canvassed where he thinks the sector is heading and what challenges are coming over the horizon… We are entering a new era for New Zealand dairy, in a decade where the world will never see change as fast […]
White paper sets out pressing regenerative agriculture research priorities
A new white paper says there is significant overlap on the continuum of practices between mainstream and regenerative agriculture. Among its conclusions is that there is a pressing need for scientific testing of the limited evidence and anecdotal claims being made by regenerative agriculture practitioners and proponents. Lead author Dr Gwen Grelet, a senior researcher […]
Independent M.bovis review is opportunity for learning
Federated Farmers is pleased the government is committed to finding out what more can be learnt from the country’s handling of the biosecurity response to Mycoplasma bovis. The Ministry for Primary Industries announced today it will conduct an independent review into the M. bovis response. The disease was first detected in New Zealand in 2017 […]
Economic Week – February 19
by Nick Clark, Federated Farmers Manager General Policy Seven in a row Continued strong demand from China saw dairy prices increase again in this week’s Global Dairy Trade auction. The GDT Price Index was up 3.0% compared to the previous auction a fortnight ago. All six commodities on offer increased in price, led by whole […]
Time for agriculture to promote the true benefits of farm jobs
By Chris Lewis, Federated Farmers employment spokesperson OPINION: Farmers would have been largely unsurprised by the recent dip in unemployment figures. The almost 800 jobs advertised in the dairy industry pretty much every week since Covid-19 reared its ugly head is a clear sign that New Zealanders are not out there clamouring for work, or […]