Finally, a deal is here
News that NZ and the UK have agreed 'in principle' to the terms of the free trade agreement (FTA) will come as welcome news to the dairy sector.
UK farmers are urging their Government to implement its 25-year TB eradication strategy immediately and in full to ensure farmer support for it remains strong.
NFU president Meurig Raymond says farmers support the strategy but are frustrated at the lack of action to introduce its various elements.
“The farming industry needs to see more urgency in the implementation of the whole strategy and better communication of its measures and aims. Now is the time to build on the determination of the farming industry to eradicate this disease which is destroying farming businesses and families.”
Raymond says different elements of the strategy are urgently needed in different parts of the country and needed to be introduced as a matter of urgency.
“We need appropriate and proportionate measures to keep the disease out of the low risk area of England.
“We need more targeted measures to stop the spread in the edge area (between the high and low risk areas). In particular we need better information on the local infection rate in wildlife in this area.
“And we need further pilot culls in the high risk area. Farmers are committed to playing their part in this but need to see that commitment reciprocated by the Government.”
Statistics released by the UK Government in April show the provisional incidence rate for January 2015 was 3.9% compared to 4.5% for January 2014.
However, it states that care needs to be taken not to read too much into short term figures, especially as this figure includes a number of unclassified incidents.
The number of new herd incidents in January 2015 was 494 compared to 534 in January 2014.
The number of cattle compulsorily slaughtered in January 2015 was 2977 vs 2923 in January 2014.
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.