Learnings from tractor incident
A near miss experienced by a North Island farmer worker when their tractor ‘park’ gear failed, has been shared as the latest Safety Alert from Safer Farms.
Agri Women’s Development Trust co-founder Lindy Nelson is the new chair of Safer Farms.
Nelson will take over from Justine Kidd who has chaired the organisation since its formation in 2017 and remains on the board.
Nelson says that the farming sector needs to shift away from the idea of health and safety as purely compliance-based and instead include it in the culture of businesses.
“It is good business practice, and we need to help people create that mind shift,” she said.
“I’ve been able to do a lot of sector transformation through founding and leading the Agri Women’s Development Trust so I want to be able to use those networks, those relationships and those influences from Ministers down to grassroots, to normalise really good health and safety practices within businesses.”
Nelson says she is given legitimacy to talk about these issues because of her farming background.
“I know what it takes, I know how hard it is to incorporate health and safety but I also know the effect it has on the business when you can incorporate a really good health and safety culture,” she said.
Nelson will be joined on the board by two new board directors, Jack Raharuhi from Pamu Farms and Federated Farmers vice president Karen Williams.
Former chair Justine Kidd said the high calibre and number of applicants for the positions was a testament to the passion the industry has for its people.
“It was really tough with so many business leaders putting themselves forward, but we are thrilled to be welcoming Karen, Jack and Lindy to the board table.”
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.
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