Leah Prankerd: A passion for dairying and farmer support
It was love that first led Leah Prankerd to dairying.
OPINION: This old mutt hears that the voices of dissent in sheep and beef farming circles are growing louder about what they believe is the (non) performance of Beef + Lamb NZ - especially its top executive and CEO Sam McIvor.
While farmers get to vote off directors - like they did earlier this year with former chair Andrew Morrison - they have no say in staff at the levy-funded organisation.
Feedback to yours truly, from many dissatisfied levy payers, is that McIvor should follow the lead of his mate former DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle and move on.
McIvor has been in the top job at B+LNZ for coming up 8 years and the calls are growing louder that his time should be up.
There are a lot of grumpy of farmers who are less than happy about his role in leading B+LNZ - especially in relation to the deeply unpopular and controversial He Waka Eke Noa deal with the government.
According to ASB, Fonterra's plan to sell it's Anchor and Mainlands brands could inject $4.5 billion in additional spending into the economy.
New Zealand’s trade with the European Union has jumped $2 billion since a free trade deal entered into force in May last year.
The climate of uncertainty and market fragmentation that currently characterises the global economy suggests that many of the European agricultural machinery manufacturers will be looking for new markets.
Dignitaries from all walks of life – the governor general, politicians past and present, Maoridom- including the Maori Queen, church leaders, the primary sector and family and friends packed Our Lady of Kapiti’s Catholic church in Paraparaumu on Thursday October 23 to pay tribute to former prime Minister, Jim Bolger who died last week.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Todd McClay is encouraging farmers, growers, and foresters not to take unnecessary risks, asking that they heed weather warnings today.
With nearly two million underutilised dairy calves born annually and the beef price outlook strong, New Zealand’s opportunity to build a scalable dairy-beef system is now.

OPINION: The Greens have taken the high moral ground on the Palestine issue and been leading political agitators in related…
One of the most galling aspects of the tariffs whacked on our farm exports to the US is the fact…