New Broom
OPINION: The old saying 'a new broom sweeps clean' doesn't always hold up, if you ask the Hound.
THE HOUND wonders if Labour’s primary industries spokesman Damien O’Connor’s increasingly shrill digs at targets in the sector including Fonterra, Zespri, MPI and the TPP trade negotiations, to name a few, have more to do with internal frustrations than anything else.
SPEAKING OF David Cunliffe, your old mate understands the new Leader of the Opposition turned down an offer to speak on the radio with Farming Show host Jamie ‘Don’t-you-know-who-I-am?’ McKay.
YOUR CANINE crusader reckons farmers had better get used to the idea of bearing a backlash from any new Labour/Green government if they win power next year. Labour is, at best, ambivalent towards the rural sector; the Greens are openly hostile.
ACCORDING TO Sir Ralph Norris, chair of Fonterra’s internal board investigation into the botulism botch up, “No single event or action of one individual can be held entirely responsible for what occurred.”
THE HOUND sees Dr Mike Joy(less) has been awarded a gong from his union mates. The good ‘doctor’ was honoured for “his promotion of academic freedom and contribution to public education” at the Tertiary Educators Union’s (TEU) second annual awards recently.
THE CYNICAL suggestion “Vote early, and vote often” is attributed to infamous gangster Al Capone and his attempts to rig elections in his general favour.
CONCERNS ABOUT ‘peak phosphate’ are raised every few years.
FARMERS FACING decisions on the Ruataniwha Water Storage (RWSS) in Central Hawke’s Bay should not base them on a few figures jotted on a napkin from a bar.
IN THE 2007/08 drought Wayne Reynolds’ cows chewed covers down to four clicks and average cover across his 154ha effective farm was just 1190kgDM/ha.
HOW DO you fancy earning several hundred dollars per hectare off hill country that under pasture is probably losing you money and endangering the environment?
More...
PLANNING AND flexibility are the key to succeeding despite severe weather and economic disasters, attendees at a Northland Beef and Lamb field day were told recently.
A READER of my columns contacted me regarding a problem with his young Huntaway Heading dog x. It will happily bark in the kennel; it readily barks at cattle on the other side of a fence, but it won’t bark at cattle it is supposed to be shifting.
SELECTION OF breeding stock could be fine-tuned with fat and muscle scans as early as post weaning, new Australian research shows.
PREVENTION IS key to maintain productivity and minimise welfare problems in the face of flystrike, says Ravensdown.
The Hound
Back to School
OPINION: This old mutt went to school to eat his lunch, but still knows the future of the country, and…
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