UV-C Treatment: Viticulture game changer
A system that combines UV-C light for disinfection could provide chemical free treatment of plant pathogens and diseases such as powdery mildew and botrytis on berry, vine and tree crops.
The National Party will launch the ‘Rural Nats’ at Fieldays this week.
The Rural Nats is a new special interest group within the National Party focused on rural people and issues. The group will work to build on National’s history of advocating for rural communities by better connecting with rural people and giving them a strong voice within the Party.
Rural Nats will also help to develop rural and agriculture policy and to identify and foster future rural leaders for the National Party.
National MPs with connection to the farming and rural communities from each of the Party’s five regions will lead the Rural Nats in their respective area. They include Grant McCallum, MP for Northland in the Northern region; Barbara Kuriger, MP for Taranaki-King Country in the Central North Island region; Mike Butterick MP for Wairarapa in the Lower North Island region; James Meager MP for Rangitata in Canterbury Westland; and Miles Anderson MP for Waitaki in the Southern region.
These MPs are part of a large group of National MPs with farming, agriculture and horticulture backgrounds who understand just how important the rural sector is to New Zealand’s economic success.
Visitors to Fieldays can find out more about the Rural Nats at the National Party’s stand in the Rural Living Marquee – site RM46. They can also meet and talk with the Prime Minister and National’s rural MPs who will be at the stand throughout the week.
Northlanders scooped the pool at this year's prestigious Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards - winning both the main competition and the young Maori farmer award.
Red meat farmers are urging the Government to act on the growing number of whole sheep and beef farm sales for conversion to forestry, particularly carbon farming.
The days of rising on-farm inflation and subdued farmgate prices are coming to an end for farmers, helping lift confidence.
A blockbuster year and an exciting performance: that's how Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General, Ray Smith is describing the massive upsurge in the fortunes of the primary sector exports for the year ended June 2025.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the 2025 Fieldays has been one of more positive he has attended.
A fundraiser dinner held in conjunction with Fieldays raised over $300,000 for the Rural Support Trust.