MPI job cuts 'won't disrupt organisational structure'
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says the devastation in the South Island from the Kaikoura earthquakes was worse than he initially thought.
After flying over the area he says there is widespread devastation down the coast and inland and an estimated 100,000 landslips. Extrapolating that number of landslips through rural New Zealand, “it is massive”, he says.
He has seen faultlines through farms and cow sheds just “munted”.
“The devastation down there is bigger than I thought it would be. It will take a long period of time to help rebuild these rural communities,” he says.
They have announced a rural support package of $5 million – they know that won’t cover everything that’s needed.
“A real focus will be on those non insurable items on farm, we will fund the Rural Support Trust, we will fund some coordinators,” he says.
“I am very keen to see if we can get agricultural students from Lincoln and Massey and Taratahi over the summer months to work with the adverse events team from Federated Farmers who provide that coordination.
The initial focus was on human welfare, making sure farmers and families were looking after one another and their communities, animal welfare and restoring water supplies.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
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