Time to flip the levy-payer industry-good body model
OPINION: Industry good organisations have long played a key role in supporting New Zealand’s primary industries.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says the promotion of fruit and vegetables is about healthy food and food security.
Speaking at the March launch of the United Nations International Year of Fruit and Vegetables held at Parliament, he says Covid has shown us the priorities of life.
“Whether it was the line up outside the supermarkets or going to the cupboard and getting exactly what we wanted every day, suddenly we realised the importance of food and our access to it.”
O’Connor’s other key message was a focus on the amount of food in the world that is wasted; estimates vary, but it’s up to a third in some places. He says if less food was wasted, there’d be a significant reduction of greenhouse gases.
“We can be the best growers and farmers for the world and its through sophisticated organisations like Plant and Food, and innovation and energy from the growers across our country, that we can develop the cultivars that are not only suited to NZ but to others,” he says.
O’Connor recognised the hard times that many growers are going through at the moment to get their crops picked, but says he is hopeful the country will get through this.
Meanwhile, HortNZ says often forgotten is the vital role growers play in ensuring fresh fruit and vegetables are on the table.
Chief executive Mike Chapman says Covid has shown NZ that it cannot rely on imports and has highlighted how lucky the country is that it can grow most of its own food.
“We need to make sure that we protect this ability,” he says.
“But at the same time, fruit and vegetable growers are being asked to meet increasingly strict objectives for climate change and compliance in general, without the important role of feeding people being factored in. If NZ is to meet its climate change and economic goals, growers and farmers need to be empowered to adapt and reduce emissions.”
Chapman says that if NZ growers are given the tools, incentives and time, they could lead the world in climate change adaption and global food production. He notes that this will require significant research and development to find the tools and techniques needed to make a difference.
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.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.
Holstein Friesian excellence was front and centre at the 2025 Holstein Friesian NZ (HFNZ) Awards, held recently in Invercargill.
The work Fonterra has done with Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd, LIC and Ravensdown to save farmers time through better data connections has been recognised with a national award.
OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the…
OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left…