Egan thanks family, friends for ONZM honour
Greenlea Premier Meats managing director Anthony (Tony) Egan says receiving the officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) honour has been humbling.
OPINION: This old mutt hopes the demise of the Labour government at last year’s election will see a return of more agriculture and rural related people recognised for honours in the New Year and King’s Birthday lists.
This year’s New Year honours – as has been the case over the past six years – saw the usual bevy of musicians, artists, failed former politicians, unionists and activists rewarded by the outgoing Labour administration.
Of the 194 people awarded in the New Year’s Honours, only four nominees had any connection to the rural or primary sector.
For a country so heavily reliant on the farming and rural sector this is a disgrace.
Meanwhile, congratulations to former Merino NZ boss John Brackenridge, beekeeper Frank Lindsay, rural doctor Mike Miller and Havelock’s Gavin O’Donnell for service to his local rural community, for their well-deserved accolades in representing the economic backbone of the country.
While the District Field Days brought with it a welcome dose of sunshine, it also attracted a significant cohort of sitting members from the Beehive – as one might expect in an election year.
Irish Minister of State of Agriculture, Noel Grealish was in New Zealand recently for an official visit.
While not all sibling rivalries come to blows, one headline event at the recent New Zealand Rural Games held in Palmerston North certainly did, when reigning World Champion Jack Jordan was denied the opportunity of defending his world title in Europe later this year, after being beaten by his big brother’s superior axle blows, at the Stihl Timbersports Nationals.
AgriZeroNZ has invested $5.1 million in Australian company Rumin8 to accelerate development of its methane-reducing products for cattle and bring them to New Zealand.
Farmers want more direct, accurate information about both fuel and fertiliser supply.
A bull on a freight plane sounds like the start of a joke, but for Ian Bryant, it is a fond memory of days gone by.