Friday, March 29, 2024

Daily Digest: May 13, 2020

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Somewhat buried in the news as the covid-19 crisis descended on us was the fact New Zealand had achieved a world first in eradicating the destructive pea weevil.
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No small feat, the victory in Wairarapa after four tough years assured the future of the $130m-a-year frozen pea industry.

And now PGG Wrightson Seeds has announced the further good news its Masterton processing plant will reopen for local seed growers later this year.

What shouldn’t be forgotten is the lengthy delay between finding the weevil in Wairarapa in 2016 and finally imposing a control area – not to mention the lack of vigilance in allowing the weevil to come in through contaminated seed.

We have seen what can be achieved to save human lives through the swift and strict covid-19 lockdown. It’s a lesson that can be applied to biosecurity in general.

  

Farmers weather the covid-19 storm 

Farmers are generally coping with the issues surrounding covid-19, according to a Federated Farmers survey. The most pressing problems farmers face are the need to carry extra stock and finding feed for them.

  

Firearms allowed for pest control  

Out of 28 applications from farmers to use semi-automatic firearms for pest control, five have been approved. However, the approvals come with a lot of red tape including having to set up a stand-alone pest control company.

 

Guidance supplied to helpers 

A group of 12 young Canterbury rural professionals has joined forces to develop the skills needed to help farmers. They include financial literacy and communication in the hope one day they will become facilitators and experts.

 

Water storage on agenda 

Primary sector leaders are banging the drum on water storage as a priority for Budget spending. In the past it has been demanded as a means of increasing production but now it is seen as a way of simply maintaining it. 

 

Waikato farmers given more appeal time 

Waikato farmers have been granted a reprieve by the Environment Court with an extension of 70 days to respond to the Waikato Regional Council’s controversial plan change 1. 

 

Landcorp’s environment group changes 

Seasoned environmental campaigners Mike Joy and Guy Salmon and academic Dr Dan Hikuroa have stepped down from Landcorp’s environment reference group. They have been replaced by Naomi Aporo, Dr Bruce Campbell, Sally Lee and Helen Marr.

  

Tonight on Sarah’s Country 

7.10 pm – Tractor and Machinery Association president John Tulloch calls on the Government to help save the sector with many New Zealand-made implement manufacturers hurting. 

7.20 pm – Keeping farmers and growers afloat for economic recovery is crucial. Sarah will speak to ANZ agricultural economist Susan Kilsby about the availability of credit to the sector and her Budget wishlist. 

7.30 pm – Science research funding has lacked targeted effectiveness according to NZ Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science president John Hickman, who joins Sarah to unpack his wishlist for our sector to be productive, resilient and sustainable. 

7.40pm –  Teaching the 59,000 school leavers about the benefit of careers at every level of the primary sector is the life purpose of Horticulture and Agriculture Teachers Association president Kerry Allan. 

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