There is no unified, single definition of what ‘regenerative agriculture’ is globally. A new report argues New Zealand should step up and craft that definition – and seize the market premiums that could go with it. New York-based Alpha Food Labs spearheaded a global research project on consumers’ attitudes to regenerative agriculture on behalf of […]
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Just in time market signals too late for local bread wheat growers
A ‘just in time’ attitude to sending market signals to New Zealand’s arable growers won’t cut the mustard in the current climate, Federated Farmers Arable Chair Colin Hurst says. “Harvest only happens once a year so really it’s a case of ‘get your orders in early’.” The 1 July AIMI (Arable Industry Marketing Initiative) survey […]
Federated Farmers Easy Guide to Arable
Facts to Learn Arable production in New Zealand includes everything that is grown as a crop and harvested by a combine harvester. This includes crops such as cereals for human and animal feed, maize for grain and silage, grass and legume seeds for pasture and amenity, and high value vegetable seeds. Other farming systems use […]
Feds whistle up support for the whio
Federated Farmers is once again championing the whio (blue duck) to take the Bird of the Year title. New Zealanders sticking to their home bubble under COVID alert levels should feel some affinity for this plucky and endangered native duck because they also live rather isolated lives in the less modified catchments of the Urerewa, […]
Farmer’s high fashion event a celebration of the unexpected
‘Town meets country’ themed articles are usually about produce, animals and tractors featuring in urban parades, festivals or markets. But Eden Hore: High Fashion/High Country – like the Central Otago farmer himself – is one out of the box. Eden was a high country farmer from Naseby. Nationally admired for his sheep and beef farming […]
Residency pathway will ease rural GP shortage
While farmers were heaving sighs of relief that the government had finally announced a clear and achievable residency process for international workers and their families that was certainly matched in the offices of the NZ Rural General Practice Network. It was long-awaited news for an estimated 9000 ag sector workers, and also for around 5000 […]
Parasite resistance to drenches Action Plan launched
A new Action Plan designed to help manage parasite resistance to drenches in New Zealand has been launched. Encouraging the responsible marketing and sales of drench, more accurate and easier parasite testing, research to demonstrate the costs and benefits of various parasite management approaches and better training and development are among the new priorities in […]
Current policy directions don’t work for Northland or NZ
A Q&A with one of the new crop of Federated Farmers Provincial Presidents – Colin Hannah, Northland What is your background? I was raised on a dairy farm, and as a teenager ran the farm while still at school as my father was busy building houses for others. My father had a rule: We could […]
More youth funded into sheep and beef careers
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) have signed a funding agreement with the Growing Future Farmers (GFF) Essential Farm Skills Programme, helping attract and train more young people in the red meat sector. The GFF Programme offers a range of specialised industry training and development opportunities across the country including formal New Zealand Qualifications Authority […]
A way forward on stock agent information disclosure
by Julie Geange, Federated Farmers Team Leader Industry Policy The issue of stock agents not disclosing information to buyers, or a seller, has been raised many times over many decades. More transparency is being demanded for the industry and rightly so when you look at all the things that can go wrong. Federated Farmers has […]