Pāmu Braces for $30m Hit From Rising Farm Costs
State farmer Pāmu is bracing for a $30 million hit from soaring farm input costs this financial year.
Construction has begun on Farmlands’ new Taranaki store.
The new store at 35 Hudson Road, Bell Block, is two kilometres from the current site and the new store opens September 2025.
Farmlands’ Taranaki team were at the site last month to celebrate the milestone in the traditional spade-wielding way.
Chief executive Tanya Houghton says the new store is all about delivering on Farmlands’ promise to better serve the region’s unique needs and provide a better customer experience for all customers.
With more parking, a dedicated delivery entry, a prime spot near the highway, and free recycling for HDPE plastic containers and small seed, feed and fertiliser bags in partnership with Agrecovery, the new site will be a significant upgrade on the current store.
“Taranaki’s mix of dairy, sheep, beef and regenerative farming deserves the best we can offer in tailored products and expertise,” Houghton says.
Construction updates will be going out to the local community in the coming months and a grand opening is planned for September 2025.
Farmlands is also opening a new bulk and retail store in Hastings in July, alongside its new Horticulture Hub. This is all part of Farmlands strategy to operate a regionally tailored service model, Houghton says.
“Ultimately everything we do is to provide our customers the best access to their essential rural supplies - through our retail network, our on-farm sales team, and digital tools the FarmlandsPRO app and Farmlands Card app.”
Beef + Lamb NZ funded research has shown that some simple changes to pasture management could help farmers make better use of rainfall and build resilience before dry conditions hit.
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When Northland leather worker Vernon Suckling started making horse saddles 50 years ago, quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles were unheard of.
Alliance Group has confirmed that eligible farmer-shareholders who supply and continue to back the business will receive up to $20 million later this year, following the strategic investment partnership with Dawn Meats.
With a general election under five weeks away, Rural News is asking major political parties about their policies and positions on key issues facing the primary sector. We will run their responses to each question over the next four weeks. The ACT Party and the Greens didn't respond in time.
The red meat sector is in great heart.

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