NZ scientists make breakthrough in Facial Eczema research
A significant breakthrough in understanding facial eczema (FE) in livestock brings New Zealand closer to reducing the disease’s devastating impact on farmers, animals, and rural communities.
The chair of state-owned AgResearch Paul Reynolds has stepped down.
Reynolds served nine years on the board, five of which were as chair. Kim Wallace has stepped into the role of acting board chair.
In other changes, Hone McGregor, chair of the governance group for the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, and former B+LNZ chair Andrew Morrison join the AgResearch Board from this month. They replace Jackie Lloyd and Rukumoana Schaafhausen.
Reynolds is being celebrated as a tireless advocate for research and New Zealand’s primary industries.
“Paul leaves an impressive legacy of having successfully shepherded AgResearch through some difficult times, and times of significant change,” says AgResearch chief executive Sue Bidrose.
“Paul comes from a background in science himself and he has always stayed true to those roots as he has led the way in governance for us at AgResearch, and for other organisations.
“He has a deep understanding of the research and primary sectors, and he has worked hard to make sure that high quality research is recognised and to the fore in whatever we have done as an organisation.
“Coming out of a challenging time of proposed changes for our people and campuses across the country several years ago, and amid some tough financial conditions, Paul has guided the organisation as we modernised our facilities, including the successful delivery our fantastic new Tuhiraki facility at Lincoln.
“Paul has also led the organisation through various reviews of the science sector and the evolution of our organisational strategies and priorities to meet the changing needs of our Government shareholders, industry partners and New Zealand as a whole. As the Government progresses the current process to transform the science sector, we are now in a much better position as we move into those reforms,” says Bidrose.
While the District Field Days brought with it a welcome dose of sunshine, it also attracted a significant cohort of sitting members from the Beehive – as one might expect in an election year.
Irish Minister of State of Agriculture, Noel Grealish was in New Zealand recently for an official visit.
While not all sibling rivalries come to blows, one headline event at the recent New Zealand Rural Games held in Palmerston North certainly did, when reigning World Champion Jack Jordan was denied the opportunity of defending his world title in Europe later this year, after being beaten by his big brother’s superior axle blows, at the Stihl Timbersports Nationals.
AgriZeroNZ has invested $5.1 million in Australian company Rumin8 to accelerate development of its methane-reducing products for cattle and bring them to New Zealand.
Farmers want more direct, accurate information about both fuel and fertiliser supply.
A bull on a freight plane sounds like the start of a joke, but for Ian Bryant, it is a fond memory of days gone by.

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