Waikato farmers tackle debt as interest rates fall, says Zonderop
Waikato Federated Farmers dairy chair Matthew Zonderop says two consecutive years of a $10 milk price is fantastic for New Zealand agriculture.
DairyNZ chairman and former cabinet minister, John Luxton, is chairing a high-powered group overseeing the development of a Waikato regional economic strategy.
The strategy is an initiative of the Waikato Mayoral Forum made up of Waikato mayors and the regional council chair. It is one of four streams of work underway by the forum to boost the regional economy and deliver millions in cost savings across local government.
Luxton held a number of National Party ministerial positions between 1990 and 1999 including Minister of Industry and Minister of Agriculture. He is currently co-chair of the Waikato River Authority.
The governance group includes Waikato District Health Board chair Graeme Milne, Stainless Design Ltd managing director John Cook, University of Waikato economics professor Frank Scrimgeour, chair of the Federation of Maori Authorities Traci Haupapa, and Parekawhia McLean, chief executive Waikato-Tainui.
Waipa Mayor Alan Livingston, Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker, Hauraki Mayor John Tregida and Waikato Regional Council chair Peter Buckley represent the Mayoral Forum on the group.
A contract to develop the economic strategy has been let to a partnership between consulting firms MartinJenkins and Beca. A draft will be ready in September this year with a final strategy expected by early in 2014.
Luxton said that while the Waikato had a range of strengths, particularly in agriculture and manufacturing, it needed a more collaborative and integrated approach to further stimulate regional economic development and jobs.
"Developing a regional strategy, like other regions have, will help move the Waikato economy forward and facilitate more effective partnerships between business and industry, local government and central government."
Luxton said the governance group would encourage the regional business community to be involved in strategy development. The governance group met for the first time last month.
Some farmers in the Nelson region are facing up to five years of hard work to repair their damaged properties caused by the recent devastating floods.
Federated Farmers is joining major industry-good bodies in not advocating for the Government to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
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