Watermetrics appoints new sales engineer
Water data service provider Watermetrics has appointed Lee Hart as its sales engineer for lower Southland.
IrrigationNZ says it's concerned about political rhetoric around water storage and a cross-political party agreement is needed to advance the issue.
The national body representing irrigators and the irrigation industry was responding to comments from former Labour MP Stuart Nash that a future Labour Government wouldn't fund water storage developments.
"As water storage has multiple benefits, from improved river flows to more productive farms and job creation for towns and cities, we struggle to understand why some politicians continue to see water storage as a negative. It's far too important to be treated as a 'political football'. It's an investment in New Zealand's future and one we need to make now," says IrrigationNZ chief executive Andrew Curtis.
"All groups involved in the Land and Water Forum noted the importance of water storage and need for its further investigation. The political debate should focus on maximising the benefits and making storage affordable for communities."
In a year of significant drought, IrrigationNZ says it's even more apparent how much of the economy is driven by agricultural exports - and irrigation and water storage helps future-proof supply.
"We all want our supermarkets to offer a variety of quality produce at minimal cost. The drought is already biting with consumers experiencing high prices and limited supplies of some produce."
While irrigation benefited farmers, there were wider public benefits for all New Zealanders.
"Irrigation underpins the socio-economic well-being of much of New Zealand's east coast including Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, Christchurch, Mid Canterbury, South Canterbury and North Otago. There are a multitude of studies that support this. Internationally irrigation is used as a socio-economic tool to create prosperity for all – not just the irrigator. New Zealand has ample water supply. It's just not in the right place at the right time. Ignoring storage will have an unacceptable impact on our national wellbeing," says Curtis.
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
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