Displaying items by tag: Damien O'Connor

OPINION: Your old mate reckons if you ever needed proof of just how little influence Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has, just look at his inability to get a dispensation for much needed overseas machinery operators for agricultural contractors for this season.

Federated Farmers says the government is finally acknowledging it has released freshwater regulations that will not work on farms.

Agricultural contractors are still struggling to fill the huge hole of workers it needs, despite recruiting 300 locals to the industry.

Southland has reached a landmark zero cases of the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis but the Government says this isn’t the time for complacency.

A major recruitment campaign is in full swing to get people displaced by job losses due to Covid-19 into roles in the primary sector.

Despite claims by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor that a new report will be the plan “to revitalise New Zealand’s strong wool sector…” there’s widespread belief it will do no such thing.

New Zealand appears to have Mycoplasma bovis under control.

Parliament has removed the open entry and exit provisions of the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill (DIRA).

OPINION: It's time for agriculture to rank higher in Cabinet.

Despite the critical function the primary sector has to play in New Zealand’s economic recovery, it may not have the workforce available to carry this role out.