Editorial: Seize Your Destiny
OPINION: Farmers around the country are welcoming the proposed reform of local government.
Government policy settings are presently farmers’ biggest worry, says Federated Farmers president Katie Milne.
She told Rural News at the Feds recent conference in Wellington that farmers are concerned at the possible effects on their farms of the Zero Carbon Bill and water policies.
They are worried about not knowing what they have to do and about how policies will impact on them, Milne said.
“We also don’t think the regulatory impacts and cost benefit analyses have been properly done on a lot of these things, in particular the flow on effects they will have.”
Milne sees the farming sector as flat at present despite commodity prices being pretty good. A key objective of the Feds conference was to try to help the public and decisionmakers to better understand farming.
Feds joined forces this year with a commercial conference organiser which staged the event at Te Papa Museum, Wellington.
Their aim was to do something different and bring primary industries into Wellington to give attendees closer connections and enable collaboration and connections between politicians, academics, officials and agribusiness people.
“It’s gone really well. Very good feedback from everybody shows this format has worked,” Milne said.
A recent Beef + Lamb New Zealand quad safety field day, held along the rugged Whanganui river valley at Kakatahi, focused on identifying risks and taking appropriate actions to minimise unplanned accidents.
Healthy snacking company Rockit has announced Wang Yibo, one of China's most influential celebrities, as its new brand ambassador.
Rabobank has celebrated the tenth anniversary of its AgPathways Programme, with 23 farmers from Otago and Southland gathering for two-and-a-half days to learn new business management and planning skills.
Adopting strategies to reduce worm burden on farm goes hand-in--hand with best practice farm management practices to optimise stock production and performance, veterinarian Andrew Roe says.
Last night saw the winners of the 2026 Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) Awards named at a gala dinner at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.
A 12-month pathway programme has helped kickstart a career in dairy for an 18-year-old student-turned-farmer.

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