Winston's crusade
OPINION: A short-term sugar hit. That's what NZ First leader Winston Peters is calling the proposed sale of Fonterra's consumer and associated businesses.
Fonterra's plan to use probiotics to reduce cow methane emissions is moving to on-farm trials.
The Kobucha project is shifting from the Fonterra Research & Development Centre (FDRC) to the farm.
Kowbucha are potential methane-busting probiotics from the co-op's dairy culture collection stored at FDRC.
Fonterra head of strategy and innovation, Mark Piper, says the project is about making the most of the co-op's people skills and dairy expertise to unlock the potential of these cultures to help ensure New Zealand stays as a leader in sustainable food production.
"The cultures have been selected over decades for their properties in producing different varieties of cheese, yoghurts, sour creams, and for use as health promoting probiotics," Piper exclaims.
"Following analysis of thousands of strains from the collection, specific strains have been identified as those that could potentially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) production naturally from inside the cow."
Following recent storms in the region, the 69th edition of the Tour of Southland cycling event has been postponed.
A function at Parliament on 7th October brought together central government decision-makers, MPs, industry stakeholders and commercial partners to highlight the need for strategic investment in the future of Fieldays and its home, the Mystery Creek Events Centre campus.
The Government's revised 2050 biogenic methane target range of 14-24% by 2050 is being welcomed by dairy farmers.
An increasing number of students are doing agricultural and horticultural degrees at Massey University by distance learning.
ANZ New Zealand is encouraging farmers and businesses impacted by the recent extreme weather that hit Southland and South Otago last week to seek support if they need it.
When Professor Pierre Venter takes up his new role as vice chancellor at Massey University next February it will just be a matter of taking a few steps across the road to get to his new office at the Palmerston North Campus.

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