Feds support live animal exports
Federated Farmers have reiterated their support for the coalition Government to abolish the present ban on the live export of animals.
The ‘wild west’ of the primary sector is what the Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor calls the bee industry.
O’Connor at the annual conference of Agcarm launched a full-scale attack on the industry, saying some beekeepers’ behaviour is putting the exports of honey at risk.
Many need a good shake-up, he said, pointing to alarming incidences of colony collapse. The health of the bee industry must improve, he said.
“The bee industry is the wild west of the primary sector. They have grown very quickly and not always in a sensible and rational way. I have told them that directly and we are happy to work with the sector to bring it into some order and to get more collaboration and a united sense of direction.”
O’Connor has also accused the industry of what he calls bee abuse.
“If you have overstocking and bees that are hungry and not being fed properly or not fed the right stuff, then that’s not good. Traditionally we have had a sound approach to all our livestock management and bees are no different; they need to be looked after and not abused for a commercial opportunity,” he says.
O’Connor says he personally has a passion for bees, describing them as amazing insects. But commercial opportunities have caused behaviour not always good for hive management and disease control.
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.
OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the…
OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left…