Push to speed up agrichemical approvals in NZ
A move is underway to make the Wellington bureaucracy speed up the approval process for certain agrichemicals that farmers and growers are desperate to get their hands on.
Animal and Plant Plant Health New Zealand has appointed Dr Liz Shackleton as its new chief executive.
She takes up her new role on October 30.
Shackleton has been leading the DairyNZ Biosecurity team, including the Mycoplasma bovis Programme team since 2018, and held leadership roles in the pharmaceutical sector after starting her career as a rural veterinarian.
She is a chartered member of the NZ Institute of Directors and a board member of the NZ Veterinary Council.
“I’ve been privileged to spend my career supporting the primary sector - from gumboots to boardroom - and am passionate about the important role it plays for New Zealand,” she says.
The primary sector generates $55 billion in export earnings, and the membership association works closely with government agencies, industry groups, and other stakeholders, to help bring the necessary innovations to manage pests and diseases so that NZ food can be grown sustainably, efficiently and effectively.
Co-president of Animal and Plant Health NZ, Vanessa Macdonald, says Shackleton will be instrumental in implementing the recently rebranded organisation’s strategy which prioritises safeguarding the sustainability of agriculture through ensuring the health of crops and animals.
“Liz’s leadership will empower New Zealand’s farmers and growers with innovative solutions and best practices, reinforcing their position as frontrunners in producing safe, healthy, and sustainable food for a discerning global market,” adds Macdonald.
Shackleton is excited about the opportunity to lead the organisation, given the critical role that healthy crops and animals play in safeguarding our sustainability.
“Growing our people, credible science and supportive regulations all play a key role in bringing innovative solutions to the market for members. I look forward to continuing to build on the good work Mark Ross and team have done so far.”
DairyNZ Chair Tracy Brown has seen a lot of change since she first started out in the dairy sector, with around one-third of dairy farmers now women.
Castle Ridge Station has been named the Regional Supreme Winner at the Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
The South Island Dairy Event has announced Jessica Findlay as the recipient of the BrightSIDE Scholarship Programme, recognising her commitment to furthering her education and future career in the New Zealand dairy industry.
New Zealand and Chile have signed a new arrangement designed to boost agricultural cooperation and drive sector success.
New DairyNZ research will help farmers mitigate the impacts of heat stress on herds in high-risk regions of the country.
Budou are being picked now in Bridge Pā, the most intense and exciting time of the year for the Greencollar team – and the harvest of the finest eating grapes is weeks earlier than expected.
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