Junket?
OPINION: The Hound notes that the Taxpayers’ Union recently revealed that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) spent more than $125,000 for its presence at this year’s Mystery Creek Fieldays.
Anticipating the All Blacks heading to Dublin in November to reap their revenge, an even bigger Irish contingent will visit New Zealand this week for the 50th Fieldays.
NZ is a key market for Irish exporters, so the best of the Ireland’s agritech industry, supported by Enterprise Ireland, will show their latest research and innovative solutions, dubbed ‘The Irish Advantage’.
C&F Green Energy makes small and medium-size wind turbines for farms on off the grid. The company offers models from 11 - 250kW -- high yield, low noise and able to be monitored remotely 24/7.
Equilume, a developer of light therapy devices for the health, growth and performance of horses, now also makes light masks for cows; these adjust the breeding cycle of the animal, allowing it to get ‘daylight’ while inside or at night, to increase lactations and so increase yields by up to 9% (in trials).
Other Irish exhibitors will include Dairymaster milking equipment, milking parlours and feeding systems; Keenan mixer and feed wagons; Malone Farm Machinery, HiSpec, Major Equipment and ProDig Attachments.
There will be balers from McHale, tankers from Abbey Machinery, spreaders from Agri-Spread and wrappers from Tanco.
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.