Junket?
OPINION: The Hound notes that the Taxpayers’ Union recently revealed that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) spent more than $125,000 for its presence at this year’s Mystery Creek Fieldays.
Visitors to the Vodafone Fieldays site had access to free Vodafone Rural Connect wi-fi and were able to gauge mobile and broadband coverage on their properties using Smart Farm Test stations.
During the four days Vodafone reported 50% more data traffic than last year and 1TB of data downloaded. Many people used the free Fieldays smartphone app to find their way on the 113ha Mystery Creek property.
Vodafone teamed with agribusinesses to exhibit streamlined pasture and milk monitoring, farm management, health and safety compliance and accident prevention.
"Rural wireless broadband now gets to 78% of the rural population," said Vodafone consumer director Matt Williams.
"So farmers get technology on offer from Vodafone's Smart Farm Innovation Partners, to cut costs and to simplify labour intensive work.
"Technology shared by our partners attracted plenty of interest. These innovations can help improve decisionmaking and be a practical way to do things better to save money and boost productivity."
The company's partner Blerter was on site showing its real-time health and safety app.
Available on smartphones, tablets, PCs and wearable devices, Blerter enables farmers to instantly report incidents, observations and near misses, and use instant messaging to workers.
The Rural Broadband Initiative of Vodafone, Chorus and the Government is bringing wireless broadband to 290,000 rural households.
"Rural people want access to the same internet and data speeds as elsewhere and... no one will miss out on being able to run their households and businesses with the latest technology," Williams said.
In 2013-2015, rural data usage increased by 270%.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
The latest report from ANZ isn’t good news for sheep farmers: lamb returns are forecast to remain low.
Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.
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.