Farmer confidence dips slightly, but positivity still dominates
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Rabobank New Zealand has appointed the bank's global chief compliance officer Angelique Meddeler to its board.
Announcing the new appointment, Rabobank New Zealand chair Chris Black says Meddeler's extensive experience in international banking across a diverse range of roles - coupled with her strong knowledge of the "regulatory landscape" - made her an ideal fit for the board.
Meddeler, who is based in Utrecht in the Netherlands, has 30 years' experience in global retail and wholesale banking and joined Rabobank in December 2021 in the role of chief compliance officer.
She had previously spent more than 25 years with ING Bank, serving in a wide range of roles including Global FEC/AML (financial economic crime/anti-money laundering) lead for ING retail and wholesale worldwide, global head client services wholesale banking, head of international business clients and head of marketing retail/business clients.
Part of the global co-operative Rabobank Group, Rabobank NZ is one of the country's agricultural banks and a major provider of corporate and business banking services to the food and agribusiness sectors. It also operates online retail savings and deposits business Rabobank Online Savings. In addition to chair Chris Black, Meddeler joins other directors of Rabobank NZ - Tim Deane, Brent Goldsack, Geerten Battjes and Rabobank regional manager for Australia & New Zealand, Mark Wiessing.
Legal controls on the movement of fruits and vegetables are now in place in Auckland’s Mt Roskill suburb, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
Arable growers worried that some weeds in their crops may have developed herbicide resistance can now get the suspected plants tested for free.
Fruit growers and exporters are worried following the discovery of a male Queensland fruit fly in Auckland this week.
Dairy prices have jumped in the overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, breaking a five-month negative streak.
Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese is leaving the company after three years in the role.
A booklet produced in 2025 by the Rotoiti 15 trust, Department of Conservation and Scion – now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – aims to help people identify insect pests and diseases.

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