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"It is important that sheep and beef farmers are heard and understood," says Beef + Lamb NZ farmer council chairman Andrew McKenzie.
The environment is one of the biggest issues facing sheep and beef farmers, says the northern Beef + Lamb NZ farmer council chairman Andrew McKenzie.
Regional councils must have a plan in place by 2025 to maintain or improve fresh water in their regions, McKenzie says, in his annual report.
"It is important that sheep and beef farmers are heard and understood," he says.
Farmers need to understand the changes and the farmer council needs to advocate on their behalf.
Each region faces its own complexities. BLNZ has added a fulltime environment position in both islands. It also has environment 'champions' for each farmer council.
"We work in partnership with two councils – Auckland Council and Northern Regional Council – to seek a collaborative approach to land environment plans," McKenzie says.
Both councils have seen this as a benefit and have agreed to fully fund land and environment plans in both regions.
McKenzie also says another new initiative has been collaborative industry-good dinners attended by at least 100 people.
The aim is to encourage people in remote districts to come out and interact with each other. Those who helped organise and donate their time included BLNZ, Dairy Women's Network, Fonterra, the Rural Support Trust, Primary ITO, WorkSafe NZ and FMG. More dinners are planned.
A high-resolution vineyard view of ecoclimatic indicators, and how they impact wine quality, can turn “climate insights into strategy”, says climate risk specialist Pete Taylor. “Whether you’re a grower, winemaker, or industry leader, understanding the future is key to staying ahead.”
OPINION: For the first time in many years, a commonsense approach is emerging to balance environmental issues with the need for the nation's primary producers to be able to operate effectively.
OPINION: New Zealand has said it is going to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by ‘a lot’ and ‘in a short time’. One of those gases is methane. Our biggest producer of methane is livestock farming.
OPINION: At its recent annual general meeting, Federated Farmers’ Auckland province called for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
As the dairy industry prepares to celebrate its top achievers at an awards night this Saturday, attendees are being warned to be aware of protests planned outside the venue – Baypark Arena, Mount Mauganaui.
Red meat farmers are urging the Government to act on the growing number of whole sheep and beef farm sales for conversion to forestry, particularly carbon farming.
The days of rising on-farm inflation and subdued farmgate prices are coming to an end for farmers, helping lift confidence.
A blockbuster year and an exciting performance: that's how Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General, Ray Smith is describing the massive upsurge in the fortunes of the primary sector exports for the year ended June 2025.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the 2025 Fieldays has been one of more positive he has attended.
A fundraiser dinner held in conjunction with Fieldays raised over $300,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
Recent results from its 2024 financial year has seen global farm machinery player John Deere record a significant slump in the profits of its agricultural division over the last year, with a 64% drop in the last quarter of the year, compared to that of 2023.
