Paris Agreement Exit Could Put NZ-EU and UK Trade Deals at Risk
Politicians calling for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate risk damaging two of our gold-plated free trade deals.
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has congratulated a group of Whangarei school students for their work promoting the primary sector to their peers.
The Huanui College students from Whangarei are this year's winners of the Enterprising Primary Industries Careers (EPIC) Challenge, with their winning entry "Bee in the Scene" which encourages students to consider a career in the apiculture industry.
Launched this year, EPIC is an initiative that hopes to attract students to the primary sector. EPIC challenges year 10 students to identify different careers within the industry and develop a marketing strategy to promote them to their classmates.
"The winning entry highlighted the variety of careers within the apiculture industry, from bee keeping, to microbiology and biochemistry," says Guy.
"The four students identified their target audience and developed a creative, modern marketing campaign – which included brochures, advertising, social media, and interviews with those working in the industry."
Overall, the EPIC challenge received 121 entries from 117 schools across the country; Huanui College also came first in the Dairy category of the competition.
"Many students don't realise that working in the primary industries goes beyond the farm and covers a whole range of careers – from robotics, chemical engineering, food science, genetics and policy, right through to marketing our products internationally," says Guy.
"The EPIC challenge is just one of a whole raft of initiatives to attract the best and brightest to our sector."
Paynes Titus Excelsior ET, an LIC bull bred by Brad Payne and Claire Brodie in the Waikato, has won the JT Thwaites Sire of the Season 2026 Award.
South Canterbury farmer Colin Hurst has been elected as the new president of Federated Farmers.
Dairy continues to be the mainstay of the country's primary export earnings.
China remains New Zealand’s biggest market, taking $23 billion of our exports, but it’s no longer a commodity story, says Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
For Jane Smith, becoming a Ravensdown director has been a way she can actively contribute to something quite personal to her - protecting and strengthening a co-operative she deeply believes in.
Lactalis New Zealand has opened a new distribution centre in Christchurch, marking a significant investment in the company's South Island supply chain capability.

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