OPINION: At Fieldays this year, one theme kept surfacing across the sector: global shocks are no longer something that happens “over there”. They are now translating quickly into local, farm-level impacts through increasingly complex and connected channels.
OPINION: Yep, the stories just keep on coming. I haven’t noted any sign of them drying up yet, no let-up seems to be in sight! And with the rapid advances in AI, maybe the worst is still to come.
A fair question has been raised about how member-funded organisations should conduct themselves when taking a public position on any given issue.
OPINION: It really is getting harder to lampoon government bureaucrats when they do such a good job of it themselves.
Anyone in the primary sector will know about the clowns covering the countryside in the red tape we all have to wade through.
Spare a thought then for media outfit Stuff who were threatened with fines up to $200,000 by a snivelling civil servant from the MoH for illustrating a quiz question with a photo of part of the cover of a 45-year-old copy Playboy.
As Stuff notes, “It wasn’t the Playboy cover which caused offence. No, it was the back page which… featured an advert for a cigarette brand”.
As Regulations Minister David Seymour notes, “The real scandal here is, well, no wonder we’ve got problems in healthcare when they’re doing the Stuff quiz during work time.”
OPINION: After all the criticism that Winston Peters leveled at the India/NZ FTA, it seemed just a trifle ironic to the Hound that the first NZ politician to visit India after Prime Minister Modi's visit was a member of the Ewe Zealand First party.
OPINION: Alistair Carmichael raises some interesting questions about striking a balance between profitability in farming and preserving the character of rural communities.
OPINION: It's no surprise that "world-class biosecurity" continues to dominate as the top priority for agribusiness leaders, holding the number one spot for the 16th consecutive year in KPMG's latest agribusiness report.
OPINION: Farmers are being put on notice by the Green Party.
OPINION: City and regional councils have been put on notice - stop using extreme climate forecasting scenarios that can drive unnecessary costs onto ratepayers.
OPINION: The Green Party’s rivers and oceans policy may have a new name but nothing else has changed.
OPINION: Staying on Plan Change 1, NZ First deputy leader Shane Jones took to social media to gain some political points.
OPINION: All eyes are on the Government as Waikato farmers seek urgent help to fend off the controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1), designed to manage nutrient discharges into waterways in the region.
OPINION: The year was 2020, the month was January, and an article in this esteemed publication suggested "a new thought for the New Year - New Zealand 'Generative Agriculture'... or New-Gen, for short".
OPINION: Confidence in the wool sector is rebounding as prices hit levels not seen in more than 15 years.
Cambridge dairy farmer Marc Gascoigne was at Fieldays this month talking about his journey after suffering a bout of depression and his advice to others. He tells his story:
OPINION: New Zealand agriculture has always been built on partnerships.
OPINION: The dairy sector has been told that it cannot afford to rest on its laurels.
OPINION: No one messes around with Winston Peters, more so in a general election year.
OPINION: Staying on Federated Farmers, this week's annual general meeting in Auckland is shaping up to be an interesting one.
OPINION: Another hot topic at Mystery Creek was the intrigue over the upcoming election for the presidency of Federated Farmers.
OPINION: It's election time.
OPINION: With the winter months officially here, I trust all is well at your place.
OPINION: Central Hawke's Bay farmer Mark Warren recently told the Hawke's Bay Times it's time for a conversation about allowing skilled and properly equipped locals to help councils clear debris and reopen roads after severe weather events.
OPINION: A nation that relies as heavily as NZ does on functional global shipping lanes will have to do its bit on the international security front, hence the additional $1.58b in military spend over 4 years that Dame Lynda Topp thought should have been spent on sheet music.
A fair question has been raised about how member-funded organisations should conduct themselves when taking a public position on any…
OPINION: It really is getting harder to lampoon government bureaucrats when they do such a good job of it themselves.…
