Misguided campaign
OPINION: Last week, Greenpeace lit up Fonterra's Auckland headquarters with 'messages from the common people' - that the sector is polluting the environment.
The Hound has been a long-and-strong critic of Fonterra’s shareholder council.
So this old mutt was pleased to hear the council finally baring its teeth in its recent annual report on the performance – or more correctly non-performance – of Fonterra during the past year. Council chair Duncan Coull was brutally frank in his assessment of the mothership, telling farmers that Fonterra’s effort over the last 12 months has been “not good enough and fundamental change is required in thinking and practice to reverse the performance of the business”. Meanwhile, your old mate reckons another former shareholder council chairman – current Fonterra big-cheese John Monaghan – would not have enjoyed his former organisation finally growing a pair and giving the co-op a proper serve for once.
As electricity prices soar, farmers appear to be looking for alternative energy sources.
There is an appeal to New Zealanders to buy local citrus fruit.
Avocado growers are reporting a successful season, but some are struggling to keep their operations afloat following years of bad weather.
It's time to start talking up science again, especially as a career for young people. That's one of the key messages from the Prime Minister's new chief science advisor, Dr John Roche.
Horticulture and commercial vegetable growers in particular stand to be major beneficiaries of radical proposals by government to make sweeping changes to RMA regulations.
Chinese textile company Saibosi has partnered with Wools of New Zealand to put the 'farm to floor' story of New Zealand wool rugs on screen for its customers.