In this speech to the Federated Farmers National Council in Christchurch on Thursday morning, Federated Farmers President Andrew Hoggard had plenty to say about RMA reform, workforce gaps and – a bright spot – progress on data inter-operability…. The phrase the ‘winter of discontent” is a well-known line from Shakespeare’s Richard the Third. It also […]
Meat
At last – a paper that recognises climate and nutrition, with GWP* thrown in too
By Andrew Hoggard, Federated Farmers President and climate change spokesperson Very recently a scientific paper was put out looking at the greenhouse gas and nutritional impacts of replacing meat in the average diet. The paper Lifetime Climate Impacts of Diet Transitions, with input from a number of very well respected scientists across a range of fields, found that the emissions […]
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 […]
Voting now open for sheepmeat and beef levy referendum
Farmers are being asked to have their say on the future of their industry in Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) 2021 sheepmeat and beef levy referendum. Voting packs are arriving in mailboxes this week and farmers have until midday on 9 July to vote. B+LNZ Chairman Andrew Morrison says it’s important farmers think about […]
New Zealand Meat Board to provide to Beef + Lamb NZ Genetics
The New Zealand Meat Board is giving $1 million from its investment income to help fund B+LNZ Genetics’ activities. The NZMB aims to help capture the best possible ongoing returns from quota markets for New Zealand and the meat industry. It also manages the investment of industry reserve funds, providing funding from these reserves for […]
Red Meat Report shows sector confidence and resilience
The latest Red Meat Report shows red meat exports have held up strongly in the face of significant disruptions. Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the Meat Industry Association have released their May 2021 Red Meat Report. In the report both B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor and Sirma Karapeeva, the MIA’s chief executive, reflect on […]
Farming myth buster: Livestock numbers and emissions
by Gavin Forrest, Federated Farmers GM Policy & Advocacy From time to time , and far too often, alternative facts gain traction that are both inaccurate and unhelpful to the farming sector. One such myth is that the claim that the recent Climate Change Report called for a 15% drop in livestock numbers. This is […]
2021 Future Farmers intake grows to 60
by Sue Meade, HR Manager, Growing Future Farmers When most people win awards they sit back and enjoy a job well done . . . when Federated Farmers members Tam and Dan Jex-Blake won a training award in 2016, they realised there was so much more they could do to help the agricultural sector. True […]
Taihape farmers mount serious assault on Old Man’s Beard
The invasive climber Old Man’s Beard has been given more than just a trim in the Pukeokahu district near Taihape. With nine local farmers at the forefront, serious infestations of the pest plant are now in full retreat. Former Federated Farmers Manawatu-Rangitikei executive member Fraser Gordon says it was about six years ago that the […]
Economic Week April 16
by Nick Clark, Federated Farmers Manager General Policy Monetary policy unchanged The Reserve Bank has kept monetary policy settings unchanged at this week’s review, keeping in place its big stimulus. The OCR was kept on hold at 0.25% while the Large Scale Asset Purchase Programme and Funding for Lending Programme were both unchanged. In its […]