Credibility the key

February 2, 2015

FEDERATED FARMERS has undergone a major transition during the past four-five years. Gone are the days when the Feds would fire out deliberately antagonistic statements chastising government or industry critics for some perceived action – or lack of it. The days of being a screaming skull and demanding attention are thankfully behind it. For Federated […]

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Journey ahead!

January 18, 2015

  A new year and a new set of – as well as many old – challenges face New Zealand’s agricultural sector. Already with 2015 only just begun; we see Canterbury and other eastern parts of the country facing a long, dry summer. Meantime, Fonterra is struggling to meet its forecast payout of $4.70/kgMS and […]

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How did they get it so wrong?

December 16, 2014

  WITHOUT DOUBT last week was a bad one for Fonterra and its shareholders. The cooperative, New Zealand’s largest company, was savaged by an independent inquiry into the handling of its infamous WPC80 false botulism scare last year. In its 103-page report, the inquiry team, led by Miriam Dean, QC, confirmed what most people knew […]

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A bad joke

December 2, 2014

YOU KNOW there is something seriously wrong with the priorities in the country’s education system when we have only 100 agricultural science graduates – compared with 120 in acupuncture – in one year. If this wasn’t so serious it would be a joke. Ministry of Education data tell us that of the 25,000 domestic bachelor […]

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Variety is good

November 18, 2014

NEW ZEALAND’S farming future is not just black and white or – at least – just black and white dairy cows. Improving red meat prices and lower dairy prices, combined with growing concerns about the environmental impacts of more and more cows, may give impetus to the resurgence of the all-important sheep and beef sectors. […]

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Wool levy dead

October 21, 2014

NEW ZEALAND wool growers have again firmly rejected the idea of a levy-paid industry-good wool organisation. In a referendum that closed on October 10 farmers declined the opportunity for a new wool commodity levy order. The previous levy was dropped in August 2009. The new levy promoters and advocates, the Wool Levy Group, concede the […]

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Clean up up own act

October 10, 2014

  LANDCORP CHIEF executive Steven Carden is right on the money in pointing out that the farming sector has effectively lost the confidence of the public. The ‘man in the street’ is now more inclined to believe ‘dirty dairying’ slander than the more balanced messages from NZ’s farmer lobby groups. He is also right in […]

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Every vote counts

September 15, 2014

IN JUST a few days the 2014 election campaign will be over and then will start the process of forming a new government. Depending on which parties get what number of votes this could be a simple or a drawn-out process. This has been the most bizarre election campaign in 50 years, memorable for lacking […]

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Smart Move!

September 11, 2014

FONTERRA’S PLANS to team up with Chinese infant food manufacturer Beingmate and form a global partnership to chase China’s ever-growing demand for infant formula is a smart move. China truly is an Asian tiger whose hunger for dairy produce is unlikely ever to be sated. It is a clever strategic move by the co-op to […]

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Time to know who owns what!

August 24, 2014

IT MUST be election season: foreign land ownership is supposedly the hottest political issue for New Zealand voters. Forget the economy, jobs, health, education, spies, the environment or even Nicky Hager’s latest conspiracy theories.It seems evil foreigners coming here and taking over our farms is the big issue. And right on cue Winston Peters has […]

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