Helensville Farmers Win Auckland Supreme Award at Ballance Farm Environment Awards
Helensville farmers, Donald and Kirsten Watson of Moreland Pastoral, have been named the Auckland Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Trade Minister Tim Groser has welcomed the arrival of over 500 negotiators from 11 countries to Round 15 of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, which run from today (December 3) until December 12 in Auckland.
"A comprehensive 21st century agreement would provide many more opportunities to New Zealand businesses to grow their trade and investment footprint in the region."
The Government's free-trade agenda is part of its wider programme to build a more productive and competitive economy that will help New Zealand businesses grow, create jobs and sell more of their products and services around the world.
Collectively the 11 TPP economies have a total population of 650 million people and represent around US$21 trillion in GDP.
The round follows last week's meeting in Phnom Penh where seven TPP leaders, including Prime Minister Key, expressed a common interest to seek to conclude a high-quality deal in 2013.
Canada and Mexico will take part in the TPP negotiations for the first time.
"Their participation represents a key step towards a regional free trade agreement and reinforces TPP's potential as a pathway to towards increased trade and economic integration around the Asia-Pacific," Groser says.
The closure of the McCain processing plant and the recent announcement of 300 job losses at Wattie’s underscore the mounting pressure facing New Zealand’s manufacturing sector, Buy NZ Made says.
Specialist agriculture lender Oxbury has entered the New Zealand market, offering livestock finance to farmers.
New research suggests Aotearoa New Zealand farmers are broadly matching phosphorus fertiliser use to the needs of their soils, helping maintain relatively stable nutrient levels across the country’s agricultural land.
Helensville farmers, Donald and Kirsten Watson of Moreland Pastoral, have been named the Auckland Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Marc and Megan Lalich were named 2026 Share Farmers of the Year at last night's Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards.
William John Poole, a third year Agribusiness student at Massey University, has been awarded the Dr Warren Parker and Pāmu Scholarship.

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