Rewarding farmers who embrace sustainability
Winners of DairyNZ’s Sustainability and Stewardship awards in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards have their eyes firmly fixed on progressing a positive future for New Zealand dairy.
New Zealand special agricultural trade envoy Mike Petersen says NZ desperately needs to develop a new primary sector story to help sell its products to the world.
And it's hard to disagree.
As Petersen told last week's DairyNZ Farmer Forum, we need a coherent NZ story and it's desperately needed to take out into the world, particularly because at least 90% of what our primary sector produces locally is sold offshore.
No one has a better understanding of how NZ agriculture and its products are portrayed on the international scene than Mike Petersen. He has attended most of the country's trade negotiations in the past few years, ensuring the primary sector's perspective is included.
But who is going to take the leadership role in bringing the sector together to develop the NZ Inc. story?
Let's not allow the creation of an inane postcard claim like '100% Pure'. That has become a rod with which the agri-sector has been constantly beaten by environmental fundamentalists, competitors and others. NZ's story must be pan industry-led and adopted.
Petersen suggests that NZ Trade & Enterprise, MPI and the primary sector come together to promote a story of integrity and trust in our export systems and pull together what we are already doing. As he pointed out, currently all the pieces – such as environmental credentials and traceability – are in different places and showcased in different ways, rather than in one coherent picture.
As Lewis Road Creamery founder Peter Cullinane also told the farmers' forum, "There's an opportunity to do something clever that no other country is doing."
It is past time a collective NZ primary sector story was developed; we have a great story to tell and the world needs to hear it.
A combined, pan-industry approach is the only way forward.
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.