Two big questions exist surrounding the Government's consultations on land use and freshwater quality, explains HortNZ chief executive Mike Chapman.
New Zealand shouldn't become a 'toilet bowl' of trees for other countries' carbon dioxide commitments, explains John Jackson.
OPINION: The Government failed to take on board common sense suggestions for the improvement of the recently passed Zero Carbon Bill (ZCB).
OPINION: According to a newly released Rabobank report, New Zealand farm businesses need to get ready for the full cost of environmental policies coming down the track as they make future investment decisions.
OPINION: Your old mate can’t believe the gall of the NZ big banks crying about their ‘reduced’ profitability this year.
OPINION: The Hound notes that the foreign-owned and controlled NZ forestry industry is starting to feel the pressure of the growing anti-tree sentiment springing up all around the country.
OPINION: This old mutt was interested to read a recent New York Times expose of the European Union’s agriculture subsidy programme.
OPINION: A mate of the Hound was invited to a lockup at Parliament on last month’s climate change agreement with the ag sector.
OPINION: There’s some agitation out there at the moment about farming being under threat from forestry. Much of what’s circulating is based on misinformation so it’s time to lay out the facts.
A mate of the Hound reckons outgoing special agricultural trade envoy Mike Petersen, who is due to finish his current role at the end of the year, is currying favour – and job prospects – with the Government by backing its moves to lump agriculture into the ETS.
With the Government wanting to implement huge costs on the livestock farming sector by making New Zealand the only country to include farming in an ETS, this old mutt thought it might actually get serious about funding mitigation research.
It appears many dairy company competitors of Fonterra are worried that some of the proposed changes to the DIRA regulations will give the country’s largest dairy co-op an unfair advantage over them.
Your old mate understands the country’s second largest dairy company, Open Country Dairy (OCD), has just had a ‘stink’ month. During October OCD copped a record fine of more than $221,000 for a “vomitus stench being emitted from its Waharoa factory”.
OPINION: The Government's policy to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand is working directly against the goals of the Paris Accord.
OPINION: In theory everyone is happy with the deal struck between the Government and the agricultural sector over emissions.
Agcarm chief executive Mark Ross explains why we shouldn't fear glyphosate.
OPINION: As pointed out in this column a while back, a new special agricultural trade envoy (SATE) has now been appointed to replace Mike Petersen and take over the role at the start of next year.
OPINION: This old mutt is somewhat conflicted over the $3 billion Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) overseen by the king of pork barrel politics – Shane ‘Porn free’ Jones.
OPINION: Your old mate notes that the former ‘junior staffer’ who was ‘let go’ by the Nats after the Christchurch shooting has now joined the farming haters at Bitch & Complain (Fish & Game) as a spin doctor.
OPINION: News that a group of Fonterra farmers want an independent review of the Fonterra shareholders council may well be the beginning of the end of its ‘lapdog’ reputation.
The Hound was intrigued to read an article recently, on the Newsroom website, that shows that Education Minister Chris ‘Chippy’ Hipkins was pushing strongly behind the scenes for a merger of Lincoln and Canterbury universities.
This old mutt has been contacted by many concerned individuals about the role the former Synlait boss John Penno is playing in pimping the Government’s freshwater proposals.
Your canine crusader was recently contacted by a concerned reader who’s been prompted to do some research, given the relentless attack upon agriculture in NZ by the incumbent government and other extremist groups.
A mate of the Hound attended the huge meeting in Timaru, last month, on the Government’s proposed freshwater reforms. Hundreds of anxious farmers turned up to hear officials – as well as Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Environment Minister David Parker – discuss the topic.
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The Hound
Logging spin
OPINION: The Hound notes that the foreign-owned and controlled NZ forestry industry is starting to feel the pressure of the…
EU waste
OPINION: This old mutt was interested to read a recent New York Times expose of the European Union’s agriculture subsidy…