Over regulated and under stress
OPINION: The consultation period for the Government’s emissions pricing plan for agriculture is closing as I write this.
NOMINATIONS WILL open next month for a new farmer-elected director for DairyNZ’s board following the resignation of Barbara Kuriger from Taranaki.
DairyNZ board chairman John Luxton says Kuriger is standing down from the board to devote herself for campaigning as the National Party candidate for the Taranaki-King Country. Kuriger has previously acknowledged to Dairy News that the electorate is a safe seat and a big aim of her campaign will be to promote the party vote for National.
“Barbara has served on dairy industry boards for 11 years and has made a significant contribution through her links with the Dairy Women’s Network,” Luxton says. “She was the first person to win the Dairy Woman of the Year title in 2012 and was a founding member of DairyNZ’s board when it was formed in 2007. She has been a passionate advocate for driving improvements in our industry’s training systems. She has also worked hard to increase understanding between urban and rural communities.
“I’d like to sincerely thank Barbara for all that she has done for the industry and we wish her the very best in her new challenge.”
Kuriger will officially step down from the board at the annual general meeting of DairyNZ in Timaru on Thursday, October 16.
Nominations for the farmer-elected position on the DairyNZ board open on Wednesday, August 6 and close at noon on Friday, August 29. Voting will open in September if more than one nomination is received and results will be announced at the AGM in October.
An information pack including nomination form is available from August 1 at www.dairynz.co.nz, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephone 0508 666 337.
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (the College) and Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network are calling for investment in a proposed new training pathway for rural GPs, warning that many rural practices are struggling to recruit while a large share of the existing workforce nears retirement.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Synlait has swung to second-half profit as operations stabilise, but the dairy processor still posted a $75.4m annual loss.
LIC shareholders have elected a new North Island representative to the co-operative's Board, along with five representatives to its Shareholder Reference Group (SRG), following the company's Annual Meeting held in Invercargill.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.