Food safety gong for Fonterra staffer
A Fonterra staffer has become the first person from the dairy industry to win a prestigious food safety award.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says it is helping drought and flood-affected farmers in Canterbury to find alternative grazing for their livestock.
Widespread flooding caused by a one in 200-year rainfall event earlier this month caused significant damage to thousands of hectares across the region.
MPI has allocated $4.5 million to support flood-affected farmers, including providing grants to help repair uninsurable damage to farms.
“I have visited farms where pasture and winter fodder crops have been buried under flood debris,” says MPI director of rural communities and farming support Nick Story.
“This event has been an extremely challenging situation for farmers. The worst affected farms have a need for alternative grazing for their sheep, beef cattle and dairy cows.”
MPI’s national Feed Coordination Service has been expanded to help find grazing, distribute donated feed, and connect people with surplus feed to farmers who need it.
“Our feed coordinators had more than 35 additional requests from flood-affected farmers in the first half of June who need grazing and feed,” says Story.
“It’s likely the worst flood-affected paddocks will be unusable for some time, so we expect demand will increase further as we move through the winter.
“The service is keen to hear from people who may be able to help with grazing, especially those in Otago, Southland or the West Cost.”
Farmers can also receive free support to complete a feed plan to help make crucial decisions about feed this winter and ahead of spring.
“The service helps calculate feed demand and supply, and options to fill feed gaps. Having a feed plan can help give you piece of mind,” says Story.
Anyone with surplus feed or grazing, or farmers who need support to do a feed plan, are encouraged to call 0800 327 646 or register online.
Farmers needing help to clean up can call or register using the details above to enable industry groups to match them with volunteers.
Red meat farmers have dealt a major blow to their umbrella farmer body, Beef + Lamb New Zealand - rejecting an increase in directors’ fees.
The Climate Change Commission wants the new Government to reduce NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction volumes as son as possible.
Southland-based Mataura Valley Milk can now lay claim to be the first all-electric dairy factory in New Zealand.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
Meat co-operative Alliance Group has bagged four gold medals at the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards, achieving top honours for every cut entered.
There is increasing evidence that dairy demand is on the upswing, according to Rabobank senior agricultural analyst Emma Higgins.
OPINION: Your canine crusader reckons moves by the new government to try and breathe new life into the country's ailing…
OPINION: This old mutt suggests the new government is going to have to move fast to rein in a number…