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.
In the past 49 years, the National Fieldays in Mystery Creek has welcomed over 4.3 million people.
Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation says the event has “successfully exposed a good part of our country to the Primary Industry, and passed on valuable information”.
“Over these past 49 years we have also exposed the NZ Primary sector to the world through our thousands of international visitors we welcome each year, the massive international media we welcome and our innovation we export annually.”
Cumulative sales from the Fieldays over the last 49 years have surpassed $18 billion.
“We are proud to be supporting our economy,” he says.
Nation says this year’s 50 Fieldays again have some new and exciting events.
Yesterday- the first day of the four-day event- saw nearly 25000 people pass through the gates.
The 50th Fieldays was opened by Governor General Patsy Reddy.
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.