Regardless of Covid-19 Alert levels, there are some essential rules that apply over the Easter or ANZAC holidays that affect employers’ obligations to their employees and the ability of shops to trade. When do Easter and ANZAC public holidays fall this year? In 2021 the public holidays fall on these dates, (all in April): Good Friday […]
Uncategorized
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 […]
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 […]
Waitangi Day – top seven employment tips you need to know
This year, Waitangi Day falls on Saturday 6 February and is observed on that day or Monday 8 February. Here are seven items you need to know about rights for employees and obligations for employers. Mondayisation for Waitangi Day As Waitangi Day falls on a Saturday this year it means that that this holiday is […]
Wishing all our members a Merry Christmas
If you’ve always wanted to see president Andrew Hoggard in a Santa hat … this is for you. Merry Xmas from all of us, stay safe and have a good break. You can watch it, here. Please note our offices will be closed from December 24 to January 5.
Improving the use of farm technology and data for applied farm management
Watermetrics is continually analyzing and improving its collection andpresentation of hard farm data so that effective farm management decisionscan be made. This year we developed Soil Moisture Analytics which is a new addition to theway data is presented. This tool helps present Soil Moisture, Rainfall andWater Meter data in an easy to understand way. For […]
Stalled boarding allowance a barrier to equitable education access
Federated Farmers intends ramping up political pressure for a long overdue increase to the school access barrier boarding allowance. This follows a Feds’ survey of farming families which revealed substantial costs and family disruption from the access barrier board allowance being totally outstripped by the fees that boarding schools charge. Average state boarding school fees […]
DairyNZ wins science award for fertility research
A DairyNZ-led team took out the Primary Industries Award at the Kudos Awards for its ground-breaking collaborative research into improving dairy fertility genetics. The Improving Dairy Fertility Genetics research project has determined new ways to select inherently fertile cows. It has also demonstrated that genetic selection for cow fertility will improve herd reproduction. “The ability […]
Buyers keep up with bumper arable crops, AIMI survey shows
With total grain production for the 2019/20 season well up over one million tonnes, it’s great to see that willing growers are finding willing buyers, Federated Farmers Arable Vice-Chairperson Grains, Brian Leadley, says. According to the just-released October Arable Industry Marketing Initiative (AIMI) report, cereal grain production (wheat, barley and oats) for the season totaled […]
Farmers give RCEP deal the thumbs up
The prospect of reduced red tape from a single set of trade rules for the Asia Pacific is a major reason why New Zealand producers and exporters will give the RCEP deal the thumbs up, Federated Farmers says. “Anything that takes us further along the path of ironing out border costs and delays, and reducing […]