End of war on farming, say farmers
Federated Farmers says changes announced to the Resource Management Act today mark the end of the war on farming.
Federated Farmers wants a plan to attract the world's top scientists to New Zealand to concentrate on those who will work on primary sector initiatives and the environment.
Federated Farmers President Dr William Rolleston says it makes sense for the government's $35 million 'Entrepreneurial Universities' programme to build knowledge in areas which are key to New Zealand's economic and environmental needs.
The four year programme, announced by Science Minister Steven Joyce on Wednesday, aims to encourage the world's leading researchers to bring their teams to work in New Zealand.
"This programme will help New Zealand keep up with the scientific developments already going on around the globe.
"Federated Farmers is keen to engage in the programme to help identify areas of opportunity for the primary industries and the environment," Rolleston says.
Agriculture is a high-tech industry that is intimately linked to the environment.
"The industry's scale brings great opportunities for entrepreneurs. It's critical our farmers have all the tools of modern biology available to them, plus capability in high-tech areas so that we can stay at the forefront as the digital and biology revolutions unfold."
Federated Farmers believes the programme should be about encouraging industry and universities to think about how New Zealand can develop entrepreneurial opportunities, especially in the areas where we already have strength, like biological technologies.
"Our best and biggest opportunities are where we already have strength and scale," Rolleston says.
A small company which mobilised veterinarians around the country to deal with Mycoplasma bovis was one of the winners in this year's Biosecurity Awards, held at Parliament.
One of the country's top Māori sheep and beef farms is facing a five-year battle to get back to where it was before Cyclone Gabrielle struck just over 14 months ago.
Graham Brown, the executive chef for Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ), is excited about Korea.
One of the country's leading experts on China has praised the NZ Government for its handling of the recent incident with China over that country's cyber attack on two of our parliamentary institutions in 2021.
The world’s largest wool processing facility, badly damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle over one year ago, has re-opened following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project.
Kiwi rugby star Renee Holmes is set for a fruitful year.
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