Federated Farmers urge government to honour KiwiSaver promise
Federated Farmers is calling on the Government to deliver on its pre-election promise to change the KiwiSaver rules to help young farmers get their foot on the farming ladder.
MAKING more value added products will provide greater confidence to farmers, according to Federated Farmers vice president Dr William Rolleston.
Speaking this week at the World Farmers Organisation conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Rolleston urged agricultural stakeholders must work together to boost value added returns.
He says increasing the value of products can provide farmers with confidence about their future.
"Developing new products tailored to specific market preferences and needs, provides opportunity for increased farm gate returns, without any increase in volume.
"It is here where we need a close collaboration between farmers, scientists, processors and marketers to communicate market requirements into the science pipeline.
"As farmers, we can sometimes feel disconnected from the end market, yet it is the end market we need to understand most because that determines not just how we farm, but what we farm."
Rolleston suggests we can increase the value of our products by improving our current products or we can create new and novel food products like sweet tasting kiwiberries - products that stimulate demand and maximise returns through premium prices in domestic and international markets.
"So we need scientists to be thinking outside the square as well. Research can take some direction from its users and that is important but as Henry Ford famously said, "If I listened to my customers I would have built a faster horse."
Education union NZEI Te Riu Roa says that while educators will support the Government’s investment in learning support, they’re likely to be disappointed that it has been paid for by defunding expert teachers.
The Government says it is sharpening its focus and support for the food and fibre industry in Budget 2025.
A European Union regulation ensuring that the products its citizens consume do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation worldwide threatens $200m of New Zealand beef and leather exports.
A long-acting, controlled- release capsule designed to protect ewes from internal parasites during the lambing period is back on the market following a comprehensive reassessment.
Healthcare appears to be the big winner in this year's budget as agriculture and environment miss out.
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