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.
The Director General of MPI, Ray Smith says it's important for his department to celebrate the success of a whole range of groups and people around the country.
He says biosecurity is more than just what happens on the farm - it's what's happened in waterways, at the border and in the community.
"What we want is to get a whole range of people who get involved in biosecurity, including kids in schools, and get lots of them looking for things like pests and diseases. In the case of children, they often come home with ideas and educate their parents," he says.
Smith says the goal is to get all Kiwis mobilised into supporting biosecurity.
Among the fifteen finalists were schools, iwi and local conservation groups, but also local councils, including the Waikato Regional Council and science institutions such as the Cawthorn Institute.
One of the major awards, the Minister's own Biosecurity Award, went to be long-serving Scion scientist Dr Brian Richardson in recognition of his outstanding contributions to NZ biosecurity over many years. Richardson has been involved in several eradication programmes including wilding pines and invasive insects like the painted apple moth, white-spotted tussock moth, and southern saltmarsh mosquito.
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.