Rural Change to merge with RST
The Rural Change programme, providing free private mental health professional sessions to the rural industry, is set to continue its next chapter within Rural Support Trust from 1 July 2024.
Scattered rain over the past few weeks has been enough to encourage new pasture growth, helping to raise morale amongst Waikato’s farmers.
That’s the view of the Waikato Primary Industry Adverse Event Cluster core group, which met on April 2 to review the dry conditions and how farmers are coping.
“The amount of rain that fell varied greatly across the region,” said Rural Support Trust chairman and group spokesman Neil Bateup. “But combined with rain from a couple of weeks ago it’s been enough to get things going, with paddocks greening up already.
“For some dairy farmers though, the rain and pasture growth has come a little too late and they’ve already started to dry off herds.
“We have also heard reports that some farmers have started eating into their winter reserves, so there could be challenges come spring,” Bateup said.
“However, forecasters are predicting that autumn in the top half of the North Island is going to be warm, which could bode well for pasture growth. And by the beginning of May, we should see a return of the usual rainmaking cycles.”
Overall, it appears farmer spirits have lifted markedly in the region, so the group has decided to meet only alternate months, Bateup says.
“We’ll be keeping an eye on the conditions, and encourage farmers to keep monitoring their positions and make decisions as they need to.”
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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