McClay Nats' new ag spokesman
National Party trade spokesman Todd McClay will become the party’s agriculture spokesperson, National leader Christopher Luxon announced today.
Two prominent rural personalities easily won their parliamentary seats on National tickets Saturday night.
The inaugural Dairy Woman of the Year, Barbara Kuriger romped home in Taranaki-King Country; she polled 20,000 votes, 15,000 more than her nearest rival.
Former Fonterra executive Todd Muller breezed to victory in Bay of Plenty; he polled 20,000 votes and enjoyed a margin of 14,000 votes.
Kuriger will fill Shane Ardern's gumboots; Ardern retired after 16 years in politics.
In 2012 Kuriger was awarded the inaugural Dairy Women of the Year which came with a Fonterra scholarship to participate in the Global Women's breakthrough leadership program, from which she graduated in September 2013.
She also served as a board member for DairyNZ until her nomination.
Muller, 45 served as a general manager for Zespri; he resigned as group director cooperative affairs for Fonterra after his nomination.
He is a Waikato University councillor, and sits on the boards of Plant and Food Research and the Sustainable Business Council.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
From 1 October, new livestock movement restrictions will be introduced in parts of Central Otago dealing with infected possums spreading bovine TB to livestock.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.