Twelve community projects across New Zealand will receive a share of $2 million to carry out wilding pine control, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor announced as part of Biosecurity Week. “Wilding pines are a serious problem that threaten many of the unique landscapes that New Zealanders value. Community groups and trusts on the ground can play […]
Pest Control
War on Westland pests hailed by former Feds President
The $45 million predator-free project announced for South Westland today is a “massive” win for biodiversity and the local economy, Katie Milne says. The former Federated Farmers President, who has taken on the role of chairing Predator Free South Westland, said the 50 jobs expected to be created during the five-year assault on possum, rat […]
New weaponry for war on wasps
Approval has been granted to import and release two new organisms, a hoverfly and beetle, in a bid to reduce plague populations of invasive German and common wasps in New Zealand. The Tasman District Council applied to introduce the wasp-nest beetle, Metoecus paradoxus, and a hoverfly, Volucella inanis, for biological control of the wasps Vespula germanica and V. vulgaris. The […]
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 […]
Working better together – Fish & Game and Federated Farmers
A ‘goodwill meeting’ held between the boards of Federated Farmers and Fish & Game has signaled an attempt to calm the troubled waters between the two organisations. However, the initiative has raised some eyebrows among freshwater campaigners. Six members of the NZ Fish & Game Council met with their counterparts from Federated Farmers at the […]