LIC semen probe results to be made public
The result of two probes into the supply of bad sire semen to over 1100 LIC farmer customers will be made public next month.
The expertise of Lower North Island dairy farmers has been used to create a series of fact sheets to help farmers nationwide build and maintain the riparian margins of streams on their land.
The DairyNZ Farmfacts have been created by DairyLink, made up of representatives from Horizons, DairyNZ, Federated Farmers and Fonterra. The group was set up to enable the organisations to work more closely together to provide dairy farmers in the Lower North Island with more workable and consistent information.
The fact sheets, available to farmers nationwide at dairynz.co.nz, include advice on appropriate plant species, pest and weed control and methods to maintain stream banks.
DairyNZ Lower North Island regional leader Scott Ridsdale says the Farmfacts are a good starting point for farmers with questions on riparian planting.
"The first step in creating the Farmfacts was to invite farmer input. We used the experience of a range of farmers from those who had carried out a lot of fencing to those who were still in the early stages of a riparian planting plan," says Scott. "That way we were better able to anticipate the kind of knowledge farmers would want access to no matter what their situation."
A riparian margin provides a buffer by reducing the amount of sediment, phosphate, dung and E.coli washing off land and entering waterways.
There are many benefits from protecting and managing farm waterways, says Horizons rural advisor Peter Taylor.
"Time and resources put into this is an investment which creates direct benefits for the farm, for the waterways and for the broader environment."
Horizons has not only lent their knowledge to farmers wishing to plant riparian margins, last year they helped plant over 7000 plants along streambanks in their region.
"Everyone in our region benefits from cleaner waterways not just farmers, so in recognition of that, each year we have a small pool of funding available to support riparian planting on farms," explains Mr Taylor.
The Farmfacts, part of a wider library covering a range of subjects, are available online at dairynz.co.nz/farmfacts.
Animal rights organization, SAFE says the government needs to maintain the ban on live exports.
New findings from not-for-profit food supply and distribution organization, the New Zealand Food Network (NZFN) have revealed a 42% increase in demand for food support in 2023 compared to 2022.
New data released by LIC and DairyNZ shows New Zealand dairy farmers have achieved the highest six week in-calf rate and lowest notin- calf rate on record.
Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association (CAPA) have signed an agreement which will open more of Canterbury Agricultural Park for public use while helping to provide long-term certainty for the A&P Show.
This year’s Fieldays will feature a Rural Advocacy Hub - bringing together various rural organisations who are advocating for farmers and championing their interests as one team, under one roof, for the first time.
ASB head of rural banking Aidan Gent is encouraging farmers to speak to their banks when they are struggling.
OPINION: Talking about plant-based food: “Chicken-free chicken” start-up Sunfed has had its valuation slashed to zero by major investor Blackbird…
OPINION: Synlait's financial woes won’t be going away anytime soon.