Crazy
OPINION: Your canine crusader was truly impressed by the almost unanimous support given by politicians of all stripes in Parliament to the recent passing of legislation for the NZ/EU free trade deal.
Farmers and growers affected by drought or floods in Marlborough, Tasman, West Coast, Canterbury, Otago and the Chatham Islands will have access to Rural Assistance Payments (RAPs), Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni has announced.
“The Government is committed to easing the financial pressures on farmers and growers and help secure their recovery given the recent droughts and floods that have affected their incomes,” Sepuloni said.
“The Rural Support Trusts in all these areas have been doing great work in the region, and the Ministry of Social Development will be working closely with them to get support to those who need it.”
She added that the Government has also activated Enhanced Taskforce Green, Temporary Accommodation Service and invested more than $6 million to help rural communities recover from recent adverse events.
“We know droughts and floods take a long time to recover from. We encourage farmers and growers to make contact with their Rural Support Trust to see what support may be available for them to access. The work of the Trusts is considerable and hugely appreciated,” said agriculture minister Damien O’Connor.
The drought in Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago and the Chatham Islands was classified as a large-scale as a large-scale adverse event by O’Connor on 12 March 2021. The flooding in Canterbury was classified as a medium-scale adverse event on 1 June 2021, and the flooding in the West Coast, Marlborough and Nelson was classified as a medium-scale adverse event on 18 July 2021.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
OPINION: The new government has clearly signalled big cuts across the public service.
OPINION: Your canine crusader is not surprised by the recent news that New Zealand plant-based ‘fake meat’ business is in…