New associate director for state farmer
State farmer Pamu has appointed Ash-Leigh Campbell as an associate director and observer on its board.
Staff from Pāmu or Landcorp dairy farms have been busy helping with the recovery operation around Westport.
Cameron Walker, Pāmu's business manager in the district, says as the flood waters recede the full extent of the damage is becoming more obvious. He says it is clear that some farmers have suffered significant stock losses and damage to the infrastructure on their farms.
Pāmu owns seven dairy farms at Cape Foulwind, just 10km west of Westport on a sandy headland. According to Walker, the farms were virtually unscathed by the floods. He says this was mainly due to the location of the farms, which are away from the river and also on higher ground.
Walker told Rural News that the company's stock are safe and well but there will be some clean-up work to be done. However, some of their staff - who have houses in Westport - have been affected by the floods and the company is supporting those staff.
"But a lot of our staff are working with the Rural Advisory Group (RAG) which is coordinating the recovery. We have been helping to dispose of dead animals and other clearn-up work, given that we have equipment to do some of this work."
Walker says Pāmu also has some spare accommodation at some of its 18 farms on the West Coast and these are being made available to people who have been left homeless by the devastating floods.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
The latest report from ANZ isn’t good news for sheep farmers: lamb returns are forecast to remain low.
Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.