Feds Label New Farmer Group 'Bad News'
A verbal stoush has broken out between Federated Farmers and a new group that claims to be fighting against cheaper imports that undermine NZ farmers.
The hunt is on for the latest crop of innovators who have helped lift New Zealand’s reputation for producing high quality foods and fibres to even greater heights.
The fifth annual Primary Industries New Zealand Awards will be held in Wellington on July 3, a highlight of the two-day PINZ Summit.
“The hard graft and long hours that our farmers, growers and processors put in is the core reason food and fibre make up more than 80% of the nation’s merchandise exports,” Federated Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland says.
“But giving us that edge in highly competitive international markets, and helping us meet environmental, biosecurity and other challenges are those researchers, technologists, cross-sector collaborations and producers who find better ways of doing things.
“They’re the sector champions that the PINZ Awards acknowledge and celebrate.”
"The individuals and teams who go the extra mile deserve recognition and by promoting our primary sector role models, we can stimulate greater involvement and interest in primary industries from graduates, investors, politicians and the media," Copeland says.
The deadline for nominations is 29 March.
The medicinal cannabis sector has received a boost with the launch of a new grower body and an extraction facility in north Waikato.
Dougal Morrison has been elected as the new President of the New Zealand Farm Forestry Association (NZFFA).
Perrin Ag has appointed Vicky Ferris as its new Hawke's Bay consultant.
The New Zealand National Fieldays Society is encouraging teachers to register school groups for the 2026 National Fieldays, set to be held at Mystery Creek Events Centre from 10-13 June.
The appointment of Richard Allen as Fonterra's new chief executive signals execution, not strategy, according to agribusiness expert Dr Nic Lees.
Potatoes New Zealand has become much more than a grower body, according to Pukekohe grower Bharat Bhana.

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