MPI cuts 391 jobs
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has informed staff it will cut 391 jobs following a consultation period.
A passenger arriving at Wellington airport has had to give up his lucky charms due to their potential biosecurity risk.
The charms, made from snake parts (including fangs from Thailand) and horsehair, are thought to be lucky in the search for gold. The passenger arrived from Australia and said the charms were usually attached to his metal detector when he went looking for gold.
He declared the items to Ministry for Primary Industries staff on his way into New Zealand, but staff considered the risk too great to allow the charms through.
"There was no way we were going to allow the passenger to keep the animal parts with him during his stay in New Zealand, as they could
have been carrying pests or diseases," says MPI team manager Tony Owen.
"As he was planning to leave New Zealand by the same airport, he had the options of having MPI destroy the charms or hold them until his departure," says Owen.
The passenger chose for MPI to hold the items and collected them on his way home five days later.
"We didn't think the charms were particularly lucky when you consider the potential harmful effects to industry or New Zealand's native species," says Owens.
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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