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.
A NEW REPORT into the Government's Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) programme is a desperate attempt by Minister Nathan Guy to justify his lolly scramble ahead of an investigation by the Auditor-General, Labour's Primary Industries spokesperson Damien O'Connor says.
"The NZIER report claims the PGP has the potential to add $11.1 billion to the economy per annum in 2025, but only if all the research and development runs flawlessly, the aspirational stretch of its programmes are achieved and the innovations taken up widely.
"That is a tall order.
"The PGP aims to foster primary-sector innovation and investment in joint partnership with industries. It has now committed more than $700 million of taxpayer and farmer money to a range of projects. This is the National Government's method of reaching its goal of doubling exports.
"The problem is there are no quantifiable results as to how these programmes will actually achieve this.
"Labour is not alone with its concerns about the PGP. The Auditor-General has also decided to take a closer look at how the money for these programmes is allocated and, more importantly, how it is accounted for."
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.
Two major red meat sector projects are getting up to a combined $1.7 million in funding from the New Zealand Meat Board (NZMB).
Angus Barr and Tara Dwyer of The Wandle, Lone Star Farms in Strath Taieri have been named the Regional Supreme Winners at the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards in Dunedin.
OPINION: The distress that the politicians and bureaucrats are causing to the people of Wairoa and the wider Tairāwhiti is unforgivable.
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.