A group of kiwifruit growers is trying to take the long-running Psa court case to the Supreme Court after losing to the Crown in the Appeal Court. Federated Farmers has pleaded for the primary sector to be given special treatment because it is doing the heavy lifting for the economy. While most sawmills are still closed a few that process timber for essential items are being allowed to continue operating. Dairy farmers are hoping to use some of the $100m redeployment fund to recruit and train staff. Wait times at freezing works are expected to carry on to May and June as processors deal with the fallout from covid-19.
Trade Me is open for livestock trading
The Primary Industries Ministry has registered Trade Me as an essential service and opened it to farmers wanting to buy and sell livestock and animal feed. The platform will be available only for the period of the alert level four lockdown. Already farmers are taking advantage of the special dispensation with hundreds of cattle and sheep listed.
Silver Fern Farms posts largest profit in over a decade
SFF has turned around its poor performance last year to return an after-tax profit of $70.7m, split between its co-op and Chinese part owner Shanghai Maling. However, it decided to defer a dividend, which last year amounted to $12m.
Disgruntled kiwifruit growers plan Supreme Court case
In the latest instalment in the lengthy Psa compensation case the Appeal Court has decided in favour of the Crown because it has statutory immunity. The Kiwifruit Claim has said it will try to take the case to the Supreme Court but there’s no certainty it will succeed since only about 10% of appeals are ever heard at the ultimate court.
Feds press for fiscal responsibility
Federated Farmers argues state intervention should last only a limited time before New Zealand returns to a free-market economy. It also wants regulatory reforms such as freshwater to be revisited and more investment in roads, telecommunications and irrigation.
Wood processing but not harvesting to resume
Some sawmills have been given the green light to process timber for essential goods such as pallets, crates and pellets for heating because the products will be exhausted by April 22.
Dairy industry to launch staffing campaign
Unemployed Kiwis might soon be trained to work on dairy farms. Federated Farmers hopes to tap into the $100m redeployment fund to recruit staff in time for calving season, which starts in the North Island in July.
Livestock processing jam extended
Farmers are going to have to wait longer before they can get their livestock processed with the backlog in sheep processing expected to be cleared by the end of May and up to June for prime steers and heifers. The problem is especially exacerbated for drought-affected farmers.
Tonight on Sarah's Country:
7.10pm – What is agrifood’s new normal post covid-19? What next for New Zealand producers? We will find out from AgriTech New Zealand executive director Peter Wren-Hilton how you can join an excellent line-up of local and international presenters on webinars starting tomorrow.
7.20pm – We find out how to use technology to manage farm access during an outbreak such as covid-19 with Sam Jones from Onside.
7.30pm – The potato industry has suffered from the interruptions to the hospitality sector. Chris Claridge from Potatoes NZ will update us on that and discuss the industry’s target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
7.40pm – Graham Cooke of the NZ Meat Workers’ Union tells us how our meat workers are coping.
