M.I.A.
OPINION: The previous government spent too much during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite warnings from officials, according to a briefing released by the Treasury.
With the closure of saleyards under Alert 4, New Zealand’s virtual saleyard bidr says it will be an essential tool for the trading of livestock during lockdown.
MPI and MBIE have acknowledged the benefits of the online platform for the trading of livestock during the process of registering PGG Wrightson (“PGW”) as an essential service.
PGW – bidr is a wholly owned subsidiary of PGW – has agreed with MPI and MBIE to continue to support the accreditation of other livestock agencies during the COVID-19 lock down period to facilitate the essential trading of livestock.
Carrfields Livestock Limited has been accredited to the bidr platform.
Donald Baines, Carrfields’ general manager – livestock says the suspension of saleyard operations requires the industry to think laterally and the online auction platform will be an essential tool for the accredited companies to continue to market livestock to the wider industry.
In order to support farmers with essential livestock trades, stock agents who have been unable to complete bidr’s assessor accreditation process, due to the Level 4 COVID-19 restrictions, will be able to list livestock – with the acknowledgement that “the lot has not been assessed by a bidr accredited assessor.”
Agents will continue to stand behind their listings and represent their vendor in the transaction. When normal livestock trading conditions resume, agents will be required to participate in bidr’s assessor accreditation process.
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.