Rural Women NZ appoints new chief executive Sandra Kirby
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) has announced Sandra Kirby will take over as the organisation's new chief executive.
OPINION: Rural services such as banks, health and postal services have been declining for years, so this mutt was tickled pink to hear Rural Women NZ on national TV slamming the impact of post office closures in rural areas.
Your old mate has worried about the decline in this vital service for years now, including reduced delivery days for RD drivers, and regular hikes in the RD rates, making the RD ‘channel’ to farms less viable every year.
RWNZ’s attitude to this is a huge step up on the Feds CEO who, when asked a couple of years back by a mate of yours truly to advocate against the RD rate hikes for rural users, responded with surprising indifference, saying, “Well, NZ Post are overdue for a rate increase”.
Farmer confidence has taken a slight dip according to the final Rabobank rural confidence survey for the year.
Former Agriculture Minister and Otaki farmer Nathan Guy has been appointed New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE).
Alliance Group has commissioned a new heat pump system at its Mataura processing plant in Southland.
Fonterra has slashed another 50c off its milk price forecast as global milk flows shows no sign of easing.
Meat processors are hopeful that the additional 15% tariff on lamb exports to the US will also come off.
Fears of a serious early drought in Hawke’s Bay have been allayed – for the moment at least.

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