Biosecurity award for M. bovis work
A small company which mobilised veterinarians around the country to deal with Mycoplasma bovis was one of the winners in this year's Biosecurity Awards, held at Parliament.
Consumers need to know they can trust food labels, but according to the Soil and Health Association, some producers are misusing the word 'organic'.
Marion Thomson, co-chair of Soil & Health, says they are disappointed that the Ministry for Primary Industries has abandoned discussions about the regulation of the word organic until 2017.
"Many farmers and producers are responding to demand and producing high quality, certified organic products. But there are a few producers claiming their products are organic when in fact they aren't."
Thomson says that some producers may be unintentionally misleading consumers; others may be deliberately using the word organic as part of their marketing strategy to sell more product and/or at a higher price.
According to Thomson, consumers can trust food or other products (e.g. skincare) that are labelled as certified organic, because they are subject to rigorous third-party audits to ensure their safety and integrity.
"We would love to see some leadership from the Ministry for Primary Industries in regulating the word organic, so consumers can have some certainty," she says.
"Other countries have done this, so there are examples to follow."
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
World Veterinary Day falls on Saturday 27 April.
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