‘Red letter day’ for ag sector
Farmers are welcoming the announcement of two new bills to replace the under-fire Resource Management Act.
Subaru of New Zealand recently struck a deal with Federated Farmers to equip its national territory managers with all-wheel-drive Subarus to help them do their jobs.
Laura Sanford, Feds territory manager team leader and Southland territory manager uses her Subaru Outback 2.5L Premium as her mode of transport and her workplace.
“The Subaru is my office, taking me up and down farm driveways, to farm field days and farmer meetings daily. It’s got plenty of boot space for all our gear, especially banners and flags,” she says.
Based in Invercargill, known for bearing the brunt of New Zealand’s wild weather, Sanford says she is glad to have Subaru’s AWD keeping her safe on the southern roads.
“The Subaru excels on slippery farm access tracks and the loose winding gravel roads of the south-west Fiordland boundary or Southland’s Orepuki - Tuatapere highway.”
She especially likes the car’s integral camera and blind spot warning system built into the wing mirrors.
“This is one of my favourite safety features; passengers in the car are blown away by it, particularly farmers used to driving big utes with large A-pillars that seem to add to the blind spot problem.”
The National Wild Goat Hunting Competition has removed 33,418 wild goats over the past three years.
New Zealand needs a new healthcare model to address rising rates of obesity in rural communities, with the current system leaving many patients unable to access effective treatment or long-term support, warn GPs.
Southland farmers are being urged to put safety first, following a spike in tip offs about risky handling of wind-damaged trees
Third-generation Ashburton dairy farmers TJ and Mark Stewart are no strangers to adapting and evolving.
When American retail giant Cosco came to audit Open Country Dairy’s new butter plant at the Waharoa site and give the green light to supply their American stores, they allowed themselves a week for the exercise.
Fonterra chair Peter McBride says the divestment of Mainland Group is their last significant asset sale and signals the end of structural changes.