increase font size
Justine Sclater, chief executive of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeding Association.
A new partnership between Federated Farmers and the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (NZTBA) underlines the commitment of both organisations to helping their members be front-runners in caring for their animal and land.
“Farmers who join the Federation have long recognised we’re stronger together,” says Federated Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland.
“With thoroughbred breeders also joining the fold, we have a bigger pool of resources and greater strength to our voice in our advocacy to politicians, decision-makers and government departments.”
As landowners, there are NZTBA members who already belong to Federated Farmers and the two organisations say partnership agreement will strengthen and develop those ties.
“We have a lot in common,” Copeland says, “Whether you’re a breeder of champion horses, a dairy or sheep farmer, you’re vitally interested in the welfare of your animals and being a good steward of your land. We’re all interested in ensuring government policies that affect our industries are sensible, practical and affordable.”
 |
|---|
|
Federated Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland. |
NZTBA chief executive Justine Sclater says believes the alliance adds value for the members of both organisations and to New Zealand.
“Thoroughbred breeding is a primary industry and many of the issues around environment, employment, and immigration legislation that Federated Farmers have been tackling are also faced by breeders. So it makes sense to join forces as a collective,” she says.
“The NZTBA is investing in conducting research into the environmental impacts of equine farming to ensure when we are representing our industry and we have scientific evidence to back our claims. We believe this is just one area where the partnership will be mutually beneficial.
“The New Zealand thoroughbred is a world-renowned product and we are a significant contributor to our local communities and the New Zealand economy.”
There are more than 4,000 thoroughbred breeders in New Zealand, directly employing a similar number of staff.
Their work underpins the racing industry, which directly employs another 45,000 New Zealanders.
“As a whole, the breeding and racing industry generates around $1.7 billion for the New Zealand economy,” Sclater says.
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
Federated Farmers says the final report into banking competition is a significant step forward for rural New Zealand - and a vindication of the farming sector's concern.
Farmer lobby group Federated Farmers has announced it is supporting a new Member’s Bill which it says could bring clarity to New Zealand farmers and save millions in legal costs.
Federated Farmers says climate protest group Greenpeace is manufacturing outrage and attempting to scare New Zealanders with headlines that have no basis in science.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.
