US targets NZ lamb!
US sheep farmers have set their sights on New Zealand lamb imports, claiming NZ sheep meat is decimating their industry.
Exciting new technology is now available to lure consumers to buy products, and a university high-tech researcher says New Zealand should take advantage of this.
Mahyar Osanlouy, a research engineer at Auckland University, also works part-time for the Auckland company Soul Machines, which specialises in virtual reality.
He says this technology has amazing possibilities for adding to the sophistication of marketing our products in supermarkets worldwide. He says the technology called ‘block chain’ can connect images all along a supply chain from a farm and can show these in a retail store.
“Imagine going into a supermarket and picking up a pack of meat. There is a screen above the freezer and as soon as you pick up the meat a whole lot of information about it appears on that screen,” he told Rural News.
“It tells you what sort of meat it is, where it’s come from – which country, which farm, whether it is premium quality and whether the animal was grass-fed or not plus lots of other information.”
Osanlouy says as NZ is well known globally as a producer of high-quality meat and other primary products, it is well positioned to take advantage of this technology.
“By implementing this technology NZ will help retain and increase its market share nationally and internationally. Consumers are looking for the story behind what they buy,” he explains.
“When they buy NZ lamb they want to know where it is coming from, the unique story behind it and anything to do with the provenance of the product.”
Osanlouy says NZ can use this technology to make consumers’ shopping experiences fun and more interactive.
Australia is looking at the technology and he predicts within a couple years it will be common in supermarkets worldwide.
More bull breeders are using genetic tools according to the latest research.
Females are dominating the veterinary profession worldwide and many farmers are welcoming this change in the composition of the profession, says Britain's Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) Professor Christine Middlemiss.
A five-year randomised survey of herbicide resistance on New Zealand arable farms has found widespread high levels of resistance - with 71% of farms affected in the worst-hit region - South Canterbury.
OPINION: The recent Federated Farmers / Rabobank 2024 Farming Salaries Report revealed strong growth in farm salaries over the past two years.
The low unemployment environment is one of the key factors driving on-farm salaries higher over the past 24 months, says Rabobank general manager for country banking Bruce Weir.
Fonterra has appointed a new chief financial officer, seven months after its last CFO’s shock resignation.
OPINION: This old mutt well remembers the wailing, whining and gnashing of teeth by former West Coast MP and Labour…
OPINION: Your canine crusader gets a little fed up with the some in media, union hacks, opposition politicians and hard-core…