Of all the presentations at the Primary Industries NZ Summit in Christchurch earlier this month it was a session on blockchain technology that lit up the eyes of Andrew Hoggard more than any other. The Federated Farmers President has made better data interoperability a mission. Like most farmers he detests having to enter the same […]
Traceability
Urban Kiwis and Farmers Share a Vision for Sustainable Food Production
When it comes to sustainable food, what matters more? What we’re buying. Or where, and who, we’re buying our food from? New research from @ourlandandwater suggests that urban Kiwis see supporting farmers directly with their dollar as the strongest sustainable food choice they can make. The study found that town or country, Kiwis have mostly […]
Sharing best practice through virtual farm tours
The role farmers play in producing food and in food security – especially when supply chains are disrupted by events such as the Covid-19 pandemic – is not well understood, Leeston arable farmer David Birkett says. “Previous generations understood it but it’s something that has been lost. I think that’s probably one of the bigger […]
Campaign targeting hunters on how to prevent the spread of TB
Ospri has launched a nationwide TB education campaign for hunters, providing them with the advice they need to keep themselves and their whānau safe while ensuring the disease is not spread unintentionally. Hunters sometimes come across bovine tuberculosis (TB) infected animals during their hunting activity and may not know what to do when it comes […]
Feds proud to back NZ Dairy Story
Sip that fresh glass of New Zealand milk, cut a wedge of our cheese, and know the farmers behind it are world leaders in animal welfare and climate change. And unlike producers in many other nations, they do it without direct, free-trade distorting subsidies. Federated Farmers is proud to endorse the messages in The New […]
Glyphosate – a tool that requires care
Colin Hurst, Federated Farmers Arable Industry Group Chairperson The news that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) requires all honey exports to Japan to undergo glyphosate testing, has again generated media comment about the safety of its ongoing use. Those in the primary sector are glyphosate’s primary users, but it is also commonly used […]
Distribution partnership will lead to ‘connected cows’
Herd improvement and agri-tech cooperative LIC has formed a distribution partnership with Israeli-based Afimilk to market its hi-tech cow collars in New Zealand, supporting a global trend towards ‘connected cows’. The AfiCollar, worn around the neck, collects data on animal health, wellbeing and fertility. Afimilk is one of the dairy industry’s leading producers of cow […]
MPI explains M. bovis/bulk tank milk sample approach
By Stuart Anderson, Director of the Mycoplasma bovis Programme A question asked frequently of the Mycoplasma bovis Programme after a detect result from our bulk tank milk screening, is around the sample sizes when on-farm blood testing is carried out. Bulk tank milk samples are taken at the pick-up of milk from each dairy supplier […]
Compelling case for glyphosate use – with care
A year studying glyphosate here and overseas on a Nuffield Scholarship has convinced Mid Canterbury arable farmer Hamish Marr it is a vital tool in agriculture. But it comes with responsibilities, and if farmers and growers are arrogant about its use, they risk losing it through political pressure. Can we farm without glyphosate? Of course […]