Author Archives: david

IT APPEARS the gloves have well and truly come off between rural ginger lobby Groundswell and the establishment ag-sector bodies. To be fair, the mere existence and growth of the Groundswell movement shows there has been – and for some … Continue reading →

PREDICTIONS THAT NZ’s farming sector is in for a bumper year need to be put into context. While many primary sectors – including dairy, horticulture and red meat – are experiencing record commodity prices, a number of factors are leading … Continue reading →

IT APPEARS the gloves have well and truly come off between rural ginger lobby Groundswell and the establishment ag-sector bodies. To be fair, the mere existence and growth of the Groundswell movement shows there has been – and for some … Continue reading →

SOON NZ’s farming sector will be lumbered with more costs as it begins paying for the agricultural emissions. To most observers, the work done by groups involved with the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) has been all about the way … Continue reading →

AS THE round of He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) farmer ‘consultation’ meetings continue around the country, cracks seem to be appearing in the voices tasked with promoting its options of tackling farm emissions. HWEN was established – including its politically-correct, … Continue reading →

FARMERS AND growers can rightly feel somewhat confused about the mixed messaging coming from the Government about the risks to the sector from Omicron. On the one hand, last week Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced that the Government had allocated … Continue reading →

OVER THE next couple of months, farmers will be invited to have their say on He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) – the agreement between the Government and primary sector to tackle farm emissions – which could well be the most … Continue reading →

AS 2021 draws to a close, most farmers will be looking forward to it ending and hoping for better things in 2022. Strong commodity prices and good growing conditions, on the whole, have meant a reasonable year for most of … Continue reading →

AS THE country endures yet another lockdown in the battle against Covid, a nasty undercurrent appears to be rearing its head. It is not mass dissent in the streets and people deliberately flouting the rules. In fact, the vast majority … Continue reading →

On the face of it, the recent free trade deal announced with the United Kingdom appears to be a big win for New Zealand’s farming sector. Plaudits have, rightly, been heaped on the NZ negotiators from all sections of the … Continue reading →