Feds make case for rural bank lending probe
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
As Biosecurity New Zealand continues to closely monitor the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in Indonesia, Federated Farmers is urging holiday makers to also be extremely vigilant.
“Travel restrictions have eased and many families are keen to escape our winter for some sun overseas. But if FMD reached our shores it would be devastating for agriculture and our economy,” Federated Farmers vice-president and biosecurity spokesperson Wayne Langford says.
"The FMD virus can live on footwear for 48 hours. Before returning to New Zealand please, please clean your shoes and jandals, or better still, buy cheap footwear while on holiday and dispose of them before you leave, and abide by the one week stand-down before visiting a farm here."
Indonesia reported two outbreaks of FMD to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on May 9, after being free from it for 30 years.
Bali has approximately 16 million cattle, and now over 20,000 animals have been infected in 16 provinces on four islands – Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and Lombok.
FMD is also present in Malaysia and China.
“New Zealand has no direct flights to Bali, but MPI advises to not let overseas visitors near stock for a week after they were last near animals or infected places overseas.”
Frontline staff at our border are paying close attention to goods and any travellers arriving in the country with Indonesia as their point of departure.
“Our biosecurity defenders are doing their bit – we need you to do the same,” Langford says.
“Bring back a tan – not Food and Mouth disease.”
China’s Ambassador Wang Xiaolong says bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand has made significant and rapid progress.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
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.