Green no more?
OPINION: Your old mate has long dismissed the Greens as wooden bicycle enthusiasts with their heads in the clouds, but it looks like the ‘new Greens’ may actually be hard-nosed pragmatists when it comes to following voters.
OPINION: In Ireland, climate change is also causing issues for farmers.
European governments have been targeting the agriculture industry for several years. The Telegraph reports that Ireland's government may need to reduce that country's cattle herds by 200,000 cows over the next three years to meet climate targets.
According to reports seen by the Irish Independent, to meet the ambitious climate targets, the Irish government has proposed putting up EUR 600 million to pay for the culling of 65,000 cows per year over a three-year period.
The Irish government intends to have the country functioning with zero carbon emissions by 2050. In order to meet such lofty aims, 10% of all livestock in Ireland would need to be "displaced" in the years ahead.
Predictably, Irish farmers are unconvinced by the notion of a mass culling.
European dairy giant Arla Foods celebrated its 25th anniversary as a cross-border, farmer-owned co-operative with a solid half-year result.
The sale of Fonterra’s global consumer and related businesses is expected to be completed within two months.
Fonterra is boosting its butter production capacity to meet growing demand.
For the most part, dairy farmers in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Tairawhiti and the Manawatu appear to have not been too badly affected by recent storms across the upper North Island.
South Island dairy production is up on last year despite an unusually wet, dull and stormy summer, says DairyNZ lower South Island regional manager Jared Stockman.
Following a side-by-side rolling into a gully, Safer Farms has issued a new Safety Alert.