Junket?
OPINION: The Hound notes that the Taxpayers’ Union recently revealed that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) spent more than $125,000 for its presence at this year’s Mystery Creek Fieldays.
A big crowd of 28,058 turned up to the first day of the NZ National Agricultural Fieldays' 48th year yesterday.
Fieldays was officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Bill English, along with Te Radar and New Zealand National Fieldays Society chief executive, Peter Nation.
"Fieldays aims to bring town and country together, and this is the real foundation for growth in the industry. When you provide a platform for so many different perspectives to come together to achieve a common goal, that's the true meaning of collaboration, and we're proud to facilitate this over these four days." says Nation.
Visitors also had the chance to get to know the Rural Bachelors and saw them complete the first two on-site challenges, including a quiz, and the much anticipated blind dates.
Although most of the Bachelors didn't score very well in the Blind Date Challenge, it looks like love could be on the horizon for a few of them.
The audience's favourite answer in the quiz came from Tasmanian Peter Damen, who when asked what the biggest pest-protected mountain in New Zealand was, answered "Mount Teriyaki".
The two Australian Bachelors, Peter and Rob Ewing, then treated the audience to an impromptu musical performance of Waltzing Matilda.
Cambridge foodies Belinda MacDonald and Neena Truscott joined us in the Kiwi's Best Kitchen Theatre. They delighted visitors with their innovative, healthy recipes and talked about their new book, (which is yet to be named) is set to be released in October.
The pair want to teach everyone to look at food in a different way. "It's not like we're being wacky or radical, this stuff used to be done."
The Careers and Education Hub was opened by Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, Steven Joyce, alongside Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy. They both emphasised the importance of educating students on the different career opportunities within the agriculture industry.
Innovation and education are two founding pillars of Fieldays, and the Careers and Education Hub gives young people a chance to talk to leading agribusinesses.
"If you take the opportunity to get involved with the Careers and Education Hub today, you will learn many things that we hope will encourage you to think strategically about a career in the primary sector," says Guy.
China’s Ambassador Wang Xiaolong says bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand has made significant and rapid progress.
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.
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…