Cleland named OSPRI chair
Southland farmer and director Tony Cleland has been named OSPRI New Zealand’s new chair.
New Zealand Pork chief executive Sam McIvor is stepping down after nearly six years in the role.
McIvor won't be totally lost to the pork industry. He is going to head up Wellington meat family Prestons. McIvor leaves NZPork in mid-March and a recruitment process for his replacement is underway.
NZP board chairman Ian Carter says McIvor has had "an action packed tenure during which we've endured a global economic crisis and domestically the industry has had some big issues to work through".
"Championing the industry's strong environmental standing, progressing the animal welfare changes and maintaining the industry's disease-free status have been significant pieces of work and Sam has shown strong leadership and the ability to work effectively with farmers through to politicians in this process".
McIvor is also credited for helping improve product quality and drive consumer demand for locally produced product.
"There is no doubt that consumers are much more aware now of the 700,000kgs of imported pork coming into the country each week and they're looking for NZ grown labelled products," says Carter.
As electricity prices soar, farmers appear to be looking for alternative energy sources.
There is an appeal to New Zealanders to buy local citrus fruit.
Avocado growers are reporting a successful season, but some are struggling to keep their operations afloat following years of bad weather.
It's time to start talking up science again, especially as a career for young people. That's one of the key messages from the Prime Minister's new chief science advisor, Dr John Roche.
Horticulture and commercial vegetable growers in particular stand to be major beneficiaries of radical proposals by government to make sweeping changes to RMA regulations.
Chinese textile company Saibosi has partnered with Wools of New Zealand to put the 'farm to floor' story of New Zealand wool rugs on screen for its customers.
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