The champion wheat grower for 2021 is Craig Muckle. Craig, who farms at Dorie in mid-Canterbury, was presented with the Champion Cup at the awards ceremony in Christchurch for winning the premium milling wheat award and also won the United Wheat Growers Bayer wheat grower of the year award with his wheat entry ‘Reliance’. The […]
Arable, Grains & Seeds
David Grant is Federated Farmers Arable Farmer of the Year
Mid Canterbury Arable Farmer David Grant was awarded the “Federated Farmers Arable Farmer of the Year Award 2021” at the arable industry awards in Christchurch on Wednesday night. David’s contribution to the industry through is work with the Foundation for Arable Research, and in innovation and information sharing, made him an outstanding candidate for this […]
NZ falling behind on alternative protein opportunities
Emerging proteins may be a disruptor for our current farmers and growers but they’re also a major opportunity, Food HQ chief executive Abby Thompson says. She’s the co-author, with Food HQ’s business development manager Amos Palfreyman, of the report Emerging Proteins in Aotearoa New Zealand: What will it take for the sector to thrive?, launched […]
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 […]
Putting a local twist on durum wheat
New Zealanders could be tucking into artisan pasta, pizza and bread made from durum wheat grown in the Wairarapa if a new project indicates there’s a market for it. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is contributing $100,000 through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund to a $151,000 project led by the Foundation of […]
Fertiliser Quality Council secures continued strong leadership
The Fertiliser Quality Council (FQC), the organisation which oversees industry standards Fertmark and Spreadmark, has recently re-elected Anders Crofoot as chairperson. At the same time, it appointed Jim Galloway to the newly created role of vice-chairperson, securing another term of strong leadership for the organisation. Mr Crofoot (left), Wairarapa sheep farmer and owner of Castlepoint […]
Better, faster, smarter crop variety data for Australia’s grain growers
Australian grain growers are set to get better crop variety recommendations faster through a major Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) international collaborative investment. The $5.39 million five-year INVITA (Innovations in Variety Testing in Australia) investment will deliver improved predictors of variety performance, quicker access to trial data for growers, better monitoring of trial quality […]
Get your entries in for the Wheat Awards 2021
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 […]
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. […]
A day in the life of an arable farmer…
New Zealand’s arable industry is worth $2.1 billion each year to the economy, and earns us $260 million in export sales. It also employs more than 11,300 Kiwis. It’s a diverse sector, and a world leader in both volume and quality producing the likes of radish seed, white clover seed and carrot seed. But while […]