Editorial: Agri's mojo is back
OPINION: Good times are coming back for the primary industries. From sentiment expressed at Fieldays to the latest rural confidence survey results, all indicate farmer confidence at a near-record high.
Attention to the details of dairy shed infrastructure can improve a farm's bottom line.
For example, Longveld's Dairy Hot Water – a gas water heating system – can save a farmer almost 50% of shed water heating costs.
The system quickly heats the water just before it is required, removing the need for multiple water cylinders and dealing to the inconvenience of power shortages, but still providing any amount of hot water 24/7.
The firm's second generation gas system, called Longveld Stack, has all the benefits of gas water heating in a package that also addresses food security, safety and space-saving.
The Stack has a water cylinder and dump tank mounted one over the other in a compact footprint; sizes range from about 1m diameter for a 400L supply to 1.25m diameter for a 1000L supply.
Longveld managing director Pam Roa says the removal of pipework between the cylinder and dump tank, and the ability of the components to be independently rotated, mean the Stack suits any configuration of shed and takes up minimal space.
"Chemical dosing is through a lockable access-way which makes the unit tamper resistant, increasing food security, health and safety, and preventing entry of rodents and birds into the dump tank. The cylinder is fabricated from 2205 stainless which will last the lifetime of your shed."
HortNZ's CEO, Kate Scott says they are starting to see the substantial cumulative effects on their members of the two disastrous flood events in the Nelson Tasman region.
In an ever-changing world, things never stay completely the same. Tropical jungles can turn into concrete ones criss-crossed by motorways, or shining cities collapse into ghost towns.
Labour's agriculture spokesperson Jo Luxton says while New Zealand needs more housing, sacrificing our best farmland to get there is not the answer.
Profitability issues facing arable farmers are the same across the world, says New Zealand's special agricultural trade envoy Hamish Marr.
Over 85% of Fonterra farmer suppliers will be eligible for customer funding up to $1,500 for solutions designed to drive on-farm efficiency gains and reduce emissions intensity.
Tighter beef and lamb production globally have worked to the advantage of NZ, according to the Meat Industry Association (MIA).
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