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.
With modern technology your farm’s customers are only a smartphone call away, Primary Industry Minister Nathan Guy says.
We are taking primary products to 140 countries and consumers are a lot closer than they ever were before.
He was speaking at a field day at the Helensville farm of Richard and Dianne Kidd, winners of the 2016 National Ballance Farm Environment Award. The Kidds and six other farmers are involved in premium brand Kaipara lamb, sold through Countdown supermarkets.
“It won’t be long before Kaipara lamb will have the barcode at the chiller; they will scan that and up will pop a little video of you on your farm saying ‘here are my lambs, this is when I drench them, this is when a crutch them, here is my property, this is what I do to look after the environment’. Creating that story and selling that product has to be worth a premium,” says Guy.
“There are costs in lifting our total environmental performance, but there are benefits… thinking about the consumers on the other side of the world who are a lot closer than they once were.”
Guy said the field day had shown environmental stewardship and excellent performance of livestock, “on a farm right on the edge of our largest city. This farm and others close to cities and towns can build the connectivity between urban and rural.”
About 70% of Auckland land is in agriculture, horticulture and forestry; about $2.4 billion of the region’s earnings come from the primary sector.
“Aucklanders should be thankful for what you do, providing wonderful food to the largest city in New Zealand.”
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.
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…