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New chair for fertiliser co-op

Former Federated Farmers national president Bruce Wills has been elected as the new chair of fertiliser co-operative Ravensdown.

McDonalds proves healthy for NZ farm produce

Last year 60.7 million kg of NZ beef was exported globally to other McDonald's markets - this was on top of the 6.5m kg was used locally.

Fast food chain McDonald's spent nearly $500 million on New Zealand agriculture products last year.

When will they come?

The Meat Industry Association says the extra 500 overseas workers will help but there are about 2,000 vacancies currently in the meat industry around NZ.

An extra 500 workers will certainly help but only if they get here in time.

Migrant workers backbone of local meat works

SFF Pareora plant manager Bruce McNaught (centre) with Lio Vifale (L), and Asena Lala (R) - two of the plant's all-important 150-strong Pacific Island workforce.

Silver Fern Farms Pareora, near Timaru, heavily relies on its overseas workers - mainly from the Pacific Islands - to keep the meat processing plant operating.

Peter Andrew, director of AgFirst in Gisborne, says farmers are starting to put things back together following the recent storm that caused massive slips on hill country farms and damaged crops on the flats.

Report claims Fonterra farmers would be the losers

The report claims that Fonterra's planned capital restructure would mean for the average dairy farm producing 176,000 kgMS per year - a loss of around $360,000 annually.

Fonterra's planned capital restructure could see the co-operative's share price slump to $2/share - shaving $4 billion off the shareholders' balance sheet.

Pork sector has beef with emissions plan

New Zealand's pig farmers say while they are committed to playing their part in reducing agricultural emissions, the current proposals for livestock emissions pricing are unfair to the sector.

HWEN favours farm levy

Industry levy organisations Beef+Lamb NZ (BLNZ) and DairyNZ claim they've got a strong steer from the recently completed farmer consultation for a farm levy for pricing agricutural emissions.