5 August 2019
New Zealand researchers are starting work to quantify the carbon sequestration capacity of the soil under pasture and believe it might be significant. I’m not a scientist but it makes sense that if trees suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to grow then grass obviously does that too.
29 July 2019
When I was young my family had a nickname for me – the garbage disposal. That’s because I would eat almost anything. Growing lads need their food, of course, but my family had to divvy up and hide the biscuits so I wouldn’t eat my sisters’ share.
22 July 2019
It's been a long time coming but agriculture will join the rest of the productive sector in paying for its greenhouse gas emissions. Last week the Government and farming leaders announced an interim processor tax will be introduced until 2025 when farm-specific taxes and rebates will be implemented.
15 July 2019
The decision by Westland Milk shareholders to accept a takeover offer from China’s Yili Group raises deeper questions about the accountability of governors and management of co-operatives and the engagement of shareholders.
8 July 2019
Everyone, farmers included, likes a bit of extra cash in the back pocket. It’s especially so when you’ve put hours of hard work into making a product or growing an animal.
1 July 2019
Later this week the best and brightest of our young farmers will battle it out for the 2020 title. It’s always a wonderful event and the sheer range of skill and intellect on show is astounding.
24 June 2019
Winter is here and farmers have given movie director turned farmer James Cameron a frosty response after his call for New Zealand to turn its back on animal protein.
17 June 2019
Fieldays is done for another year with participants reporting a positive vibe though there’s always an element of the holiday atmosphere about the event as people slip the leash for a day or two off the farm.
10 June 2019
Moving day is over but this week farmers from across the country will make that other pilgrimage – up or down State Highway 1 to Hamilton then that long morning trudge through the fields and fog to Mystery Creek for National Fieldays.
3 June 2019
Budget 2019 was named the Wellbeing Budget and it was reassuring to see the health of rural communities addressed.
Farmers have known for some time they will shoulder much of the burden of reaching emissions targets and improving the environment.
