The prospect of reduced red tape from a single set of trade rules for the Asia Pacific is a major reason why New Zealand producers and exporters will give the RCEP deal the thumbs up, Federated Farmers says. “Anything that takes us further along the path of ironing out border costs and delays, and reducing […]
Providers wanted for new $1.8m wool training programme
The wool industry is seeking providers for its new $1.8 m pilot training programme – Kaiaka Wool Industry Training NZ. Declining sheep numbers, poor wool prices and Covid border restrictions have combined to create a serious shortage of shearers in New Zealand. NZ Shearing Contractors’ Association chief executive Phil Holden says: “The ratio of shearers […]
Quarantine pressure thwarts critical worker flow
Serious gaps in the agricultural contracting workforce have consequences such as animal feed shortages and risks to getting arable crops in next summer, Federated Farmers says. “After favourable rain in many parts of the North Island in the last month, there’s a big emphasis on making grass silage to help cope if predicted droughts take […]
President elected to IDF
Federated Farmers President Andrew Hoggard is well used to representing New Zealand’s farmers. On top of that, he’ll now be representing dairy farmers from all corners of the planet on the board of the International Dairy Federation. The Manawatu dairy farmer gets up at 4.30am to milk his herd but at least once or twice […]
Tales of WWII land girls shared
Among the crowd of more than 120 who travelled to Maungati, near Timaru, on October 18 to remember the World War II ‘land girls’ were two particularly special guests – Sadie Lietze (nee Stuart) and Daphne Attfield (nee Williams). Now in their late 90s, the pair represented the last of the ranks of the New […]