Farm Safety Improves Through 'Incremental Gain', Says Birkett
Improving health and safety is about incremental gain rather than a sudden decision, says Leeston farmer and Federated Farmers health and safety spokesman David Birkett.
Federated Farmers has welcomed Elizabeth Soal as the new chief executive of Irrigation New Zealand.
"Federated Farmers maintains an excellent working relationship with Irrigation New Zealand," Feds water and environment spokesperson Chris Allen says.
"Elizabeth has the credentials and background, including her strategy and policy work for the Waitaki Irrigators Collective, to help ensure INZ continues its excellent work."
Federated Farmers says reliable water supply and storage, as well as its use in an environmentally sustainable way, is crucial for food growers and exporters, and thus to the vitality of provincial New Zealand. This will be even more important as the impacts of climate change bite.
"We look forward to working with Elizabeth and the INZ board to promote and enhance the critical role that irrigation has in food security," says Allen.
Federated Farmers has also thanked outgoing IrrigationNZ chief executive Andrew Curtis for his contribution and wishes him well for his future endeavours.
Oamaru-based livestock handling specialist Te Pari has bought Combi Clamp, the New Zealand manufacturer of Combi Clamp manual sheep handlers.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has admitted that a scheme bringing workers from Pacific nations to work on orchards has become too hard to navigate but says changes are coming.
A new app designed in New Zealand aims to help sheep, beef and deer farmers capture, analyse and use body condition score data more effectively.
Canterbury farmer Andy Macfarlane has been appointed to the board of AgriZeroNZ, the public-private partnership designed to accelerate the development and deployment of emissions reduction tools for New Zealand farmers.
For over 50 years Mel Ewers has been supporting the apple sector navigate through compliance and quality assurance issues.
The apple sector is enjoying a bumper harvest season.

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