Subsidies keeping wind, solar generation viable
OPINION: I recently wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister because at a recent Federated Farmers meeting, Chris Luxon told me wind and solar generation is not subsidised.
OPINION: This old mutt is getting somewhat tired of multi-national, tax-dodging, fund-raising group Greenpeace always given front and centre mainstream media space to coment (i.e. bag) NZ agriculture.
Without fail, its 'agricultural campaigner's' magic 'answer' to NZ's complex and complicated agricultural emissions issue is to slaughter at least half of the country's dairy herd, convert all farming to wacky regen ag and stop the use of all fertilisers - without any comment about what this would do to the nation's economy.
She also falsely claims that farmers are not paying any ETS costs - wilfully omitting that NZ farmers are big users of fuel and electricity and therefore are paying carbon taxes.
Meanwhile, the sector - via HWEN - will soon be paying $400 million annually - so no free ride for farmers.
The quest to find innovative practical, scientific solutions to deal with water-related issues at a catchment level has been the theme of an important conference at Massey University last week.
One of the country's top Māori farms faces a long and costly rebuild to get the property back to where it was before recent storms ripped through it.
The latest Global Dairy Trade auction results have delivered a boost to dairy farmers.
New Zealand potato growers are prioritising value creation from high yields to meet a complex mix of challenges and opportunities, says Potatoes NZ chief executive Kate Trufitt.
A Hawke's Bay apple orchardist supports the Government's objective of doubling exports but says this won't happen in the horticulture sector unless there's a change in the process for bringing new plant material into the country.
Canterbury arable farmers are down by tens of millions of dollars after a rollercoaster of wild changeable January weather saw harvests delayed and some crops destroyed by violent hailstorms.

OPINION: Why can't Christopher Luxon stand up to Winston Peters over the latter’s high-profile attack on the proposed Indian FTA?
OPINION: Meanwhile, red blooded Northland politician Matua Shane Jones has provided one of the most telling quotes of the year…