Contributed by: Environment Canterbury It’s around this time of year that you may start to notice smoke from stubble burning in rural areas. Zone Lead Brian Reeves reminds us about the things we should do before lighting up to ensure better and safer outcomes for all. Last year more than 850 smoke-related complaints were lodged […]
Health and Safety
Free lunchtime chats to boost farmer resilience
Three of New Zealand’s foremost motivational speakers on resilience and mental wellbeing will offer tips for farmers and growers in a series of free online lunchtime talks. Isolation and the sometimes stressful nature of agriculture, with severe weather and volatile trading conditions out of their control, puts pressure on rural families. “The added restrictions, health […]
Stretched rural contractors taken past breaking point
Stressed rural contractors, told in mid-December they could bring in 200 more skilled machinery operators, have not yet seen a single arrival given any MIQ space. Rural Contractors NZ CEO Andrew Olsen says despite the best efforts of MPI staff to help find MIQ beds for the approved operators, the indications now are that few, […]
Liability claims from neighbours a big chunk of costs when burn-offs go wrong
Nearly 200 claims and $6 million paid out, including one claim that totalled $761,000. That was the toll from rural fires in New Zealand 2016-2020 for FMG. Bear in mind that FMG has around 52 percent of the rural market, and also, as the company’s head of client strategy and advice services Stephen Cantwell pointed […]
Subaru Outback wins AA/Driven’s NZ Safest Car of the Year
Subaru’s Outback has received the AA/Driven New Zealand Car of the Year 2021 Safest Car award today. The sixth generation of Subaru’s much-loved SUV – known as the GOOAT – becomes not only the greatest, but also now the safest, Outback Of All Time. Subaru NZ is a strategic partner of Federated Farmers of New […]
Border exceptions the first step in the process
Federated Farmers is pleased to see the Government has approved border class exceptions for a number of international agricultural workers for early 2022. The border exceptions will allow approved workers to assist with the shearing and arable sectors over their peak busy period. The Government has also made some changes to the current dairy worker […]
Coroner inquest delays, case blow-out concerns Federated Farmers
A dramatic drop in the number of coroner’s inquests being undertaken and long delays before cases are heard and findings released are concerning trends, Federated Farmers health and safety spokesperson Karen Williams says. “From media reports it does seem that our coroners are sinking under the workload. They shouldn’t be put in this situation,” Karen, […]
Tested positive, and now warns others: Don’t underestimate COVID
Take it from someone who’s had it – if you get COVID-19, it’s highly likely it will bowl you for six. Charles Taituha, who these days is an advisor contracted to Beef+Lamb NZ and several Māori entities, warns that if you get it, “you’re quite likely to be buggered for two or three days. “Just […]
‘Massive’ hit on production if totally unnecessary nitrogen fertilizer ban came in
The basis of claims made by Greenpeace in support of its petition to ban use of all synthetic nitrogen fertilizer by 2024 have been called mischievous and misleading. For example, Greenpeace likes to hammer the point that New Zealand had the highest rate of increase in inorganic nitrogen fertilizer application out of OECD countries from […]
Survey underlines glyphosate is ‘vital food production tool’
A ban or restrictions on use of glyphosate is unnecessary and would add to food production costs. It would also undermine New Zealand farmers’ environmental stewardship by removing a key tool for such practices as minimum or no-till drilling that preserve soil carbon, and would likely force use of more toxic chemicals to control weeds. […]