Make vets part of your management team
Farmers are being urged to make their veterinarians an integral part of their farm management team.
Former farm manager Michael James Whitelock was been jailed for 4 and a half years and disqualified from owning animals for 10 years after pleading guilty to animal cruelty.
Whitlock broke the tails of 200 animals on a Landcorp farm he was managing.
Ministry for Primary Industries animal welfare manager Peter Hyde describes the Westport farmer’s abuse of dairy cows as “horrific”.
Four and a half years imprisonment is believed to be the longest imprisonment sentence handed down for animal welfare offences involving farm animals.
The next largest sentence was 2 years and 1 month handed down to a Waikato farmer in 2013.
Hyde says acts of deliberate cruelty involving farm animals are very rare.
"Deliberate cruelty is unacceptable to all right minded people. This was one of the worst cases of cruelty MPI has dealt with. We take this sort of offending very seriously and the sentence indicates that the court clearly does too." he says.
Three other offenders have previously been sentenced to significant periods of community detention and community work and disqualification in relation to this case.
Atiamuri farmers Paul and Lesley Grey never gave up their dream of owning their own farm – and in 2020, that dream came true.
Fonterra is exploring full or partial divestment options for its global Consumer business, as well as its integrated businesses Fonterra Oceania and Fonterra Sri Lanka.
Having a trusted feed supplier as part of their team is a vital part of a Eureka family's farm business - especially now that they've shifted to autumn calving.
OPINION: Politicians the world over have as their priority - get elected and stay elected.
Craigmore Sustainables says it is committed to investing in professional and career development for its farm managers and employees.
Nine lucky school leavers passionate about farming will join Pamu for a two-year journey into agriculture, living and working at Pamu farm, Aratiatia near Taupo.