The Governments plan to limit forest planting
The Governments plan to limit forest planting on areas of more than 50 hectares to protect farming has drawn the ire of Forest Owners. The land in focus is currently classified as arable. There has been much criticism that good productive land is being converted to...
Turn that uncertainty into a plan for the future
COVID uncertainty is here to stay for some time, but fruit and vegetable growers want to turn that uncertainty into a plan for the future. Hort NZ CEO Mike Chapman says fruit, vegetable and wine harvests need 40,000 workers to get their products to market and in...
Renewed calls for overseas seasonal workers to be next in line to have their visa restrictions eased.
Renewed calls for overseas seasonal workers to be next in line to have their visa restrictions eased. Visitors and temporary migrants trapped in this country will now have their visas extended to give them more time to organise flights home. But Horticulture NZ chief...
A big shakeup in the Wool Industry
A big shakeup in the Wool industry with Primary Wool Co-Operative and Wools of New Zealand starting formal discussions about combining operations as they seek to capture more value for farmers. This amalgamation could involve 2000 sheep farmers and Wools of NZ Chair...
New Zealand Needs Rural Contractors
Farmers stand to lose $110 million and 27 million tonnes of food could go to waste if the Government does not allow skilled heavy machine operators into the country. At least 200 operators are needed and contracting firms are desperate to get operators in from...
Butchers of New Zealand in Level 3
Independent butchers of New Zealand have written to PM Jacinda Ardern asking that she urgently reclassify local butcheries as essential services in line with dairies. Auckland Retail butchers and fruit shops are facing more tough times with the Level 3 declaration and...
New Zealand Honey Story
New Zealand’s honey industry wants to educate ‘conscious foodie’ consumers offshore about its diverse range of native honey varieties. Apiculture New Zealand has joined forces with New Zealand Story to create promotional material about lesser-known honey varieties....
Illegal plantings of Sun Gold Kiwifruit
Illegal plantings of Sun Gold Kiwifruit, the jewel in the crown for Zespri, have almost doubled in the past six months in China. Zespri owns the rights to Sun Gold, and growers here pay hundreds of thousands of dollars per hectare to grow it. Six months ago it was...
Revenue from dairy, meat, and horticulture exports is…
Revenue from dairy, meat, and horticulture exports is soaring amid the coronavirus pandemic with sales for the year to date are up nearly $1 billion compared with the same period a year earlier. The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research Insight report says a...