Cyclone-hit wool scourer reopens
The world's largest wool scouring facility, WoolWorks Awatoto plant in Napier, is back operating at full capacity.
Major players in the primary sector are mobilising staff ahead of NIWA's predictions that regions severely damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle are about to be hit by potentially one of the country's worst droughts.
NIWA's principal scientist, forecasting and media, Chris Brandolino told Rural News that weather patterns that are emerging will likely cause the early arrival of El Nino. He says NIWA is already starting to see dryness develop in parts of the North Island - including Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti.
Brandolino says this could see periods when for two or three days, temperatures will soar into the upper 20 degrees, then suddenly cool down again then the process starts all over again. He says this is unusual because NZ is still in the astronomical winter.
"Normally the dryness begins in November, but this year it is likely to kick in early - meaning October."
To that end, NIWA and MPI have worked together to produce a 'drought prediction tool' which is on the NIWA website. Brandolino emphasises that this tool is not a weather forecaster, but rather it predicts the weather themes and level of dryness 35 days ahead and is updated daily.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has informed staff it will cut 391 jobs following a consultation period.
New Zealand farmers are committed to making their businesses more resilient to climate change and are embracing innovation to help them do so.
Atiamuri farmers Paul and Lesley Grey never gave up their dream of owning their own farm – and in 2020, that dream came true.