Agriculture

Fieldays Online

The first ever digital Fieldays was opened by The Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern Prime Minister of New Zealand, followed by an address by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. The Prime Minister opened the virtual gates to Fieldays Online with a nod to the efforts of the primary sector, who kept the country moving during the national lockdown. Ardern acknowledged the event is part of the fabric of the rural community and its significance in the local and national economy. The Prince, who is an avid supporter of sustainable agriculture, last visited Fieldays in 1970 when the event was in only its second year. In his message for Fieldays Online, His Royal Highness commended the Society for their decades of hard work and importance to the nation. “The idea behind Fieldays, to which I was first introduced all those years ago, has certainly flourished over these past five decades. All those who have nurtured it and helped it to grow can feel rightly proud of the way in which Fieldays has established its place in New Zealand life. It has come to be an indispensable opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge, to connect different parts of the community, and to celebrate our shared relationships to the land.” New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation was delighted to receive the royal reinforcement. “We don’t do things by halves here and we knew having an online event was a huge undertaking. But given the current circumstances we knew we had to do something, and we’ve worked really hard to bring the event to life in an utterly new and unique way. “Having the Prime Minister and The Prince offer their support is wonderful. We’re really proud of what’s on offer for the community both here in New Zealand and […]

Farming sector pleased visa changes provide certainty

DairyNZ and Federated Farmers are pleased to see the government announcement that it is extending employer assisted temporary work visas due to expire by the end of 2020. DairyNZ people team leader Jane Muir says the six month extension is excellent news for farmers and the estimated 3000 dairy farm employees whose temporary visas are due to expire. “The dairy sector, farm employers and our farm employees on temporary visas have been calling on the government to provide a solution. We are pleased they have listened,” said Ms Muir. “We are about to go into the busiest time of the farming year with calving and urgently sought certainty that farmers would be able to keep their existing staff.” Federated Farmers and DairyNZ have repeatedly highlighted to government the plight of migrant workers needed by the dairy sector, both those already working in the country and those stuck overseas. “We need these people. They are key to our daily business on-farm,” Federated Farmers immigration spokesperson Chris Lewis says. DairyNZ has a GoDairy campaign underway to attract and train Kiwis for the 1000 additional jobs currently up for grabs on dairy farms. “In the medium to long-term we expect to see dairy’s reliance on migrants decrease but it will take time – our migrants have skills we can’t replace quickly, they are highly valued and they can help train Kiwis,” said Ms Muir. Immigration Minister Ian Lees-Galloway announced the government is shifting a stand down period that applies to some migrants by six months to February 2021. Migrant workers who were subject to the 12-month stand-down period and were going to have to leave New Zealand this year, will now be able to stay for the duration of the extension.

Connectivity key to health and wellbeing at Fieldays Online

If you can do it at Fieldays at Mystery Creek you can do it at Fieldays Online – with the possible exception that you might have to make your own hot bacon roll. The virtual event means you can be immersed in everything you love about the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event, at the click of your fingertips. “With connectivity at the centre of the event combined with innovation and adaptability, Fieldays Online is all about bringing Fieldays to anyone, anywhere at any time. The content includes live and on-demand TV, webinars, articles, exclusive deals and much more. This is all delivered in an engaging way and is accessible on any device, so audiences can engage at a time and in a format that suits them,” says Nikki Streater, GM of Satellite, the digital agency building the Fieldays Online platform in partnership with the New Zealand National Fieldays Society. “Satellite are working with exhibitors to turn their product updates/launches, sales, promotions, news & info, activations and features into a digital site that the visitors can easily access and explore. We’ll also have live stream and on-demand videos, panel discussions and webinars bringing the latest innovation and insight for the sector.” The Fieldays Health and Wellbeing Hub, a central part of the traditional event, will be an interactive space for visitors to enjoy during Fieldays Online. Kiwi favourites Hyundai, who have been attending Fieldays since 2004, are bringing their ‘Good as Gold’ Fieldays deals as well as a unique health and wellbeing offering to the virtual event. At Fieldays Online, one of Hyundai’s ambassadors, ‘Dr Tom’ will be hosting a series of ‘talks’ on Fieldays TV, both live and on-demand, sharing with viewers some of his PGG Wrightson ‘Walk the Talk’ Wellness Tour stories from his travels meeting farmers around the countryside. […]

Government supports dairy farming jobs for kiwis

The Government and dairy sector have joined forces on a new campaign to support COVID-19 affected workers into a farming career, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. The 2020 GoDairy campaign was launched today by DairyNZ, in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Ministry for Social Development (MSD), and with support from Federated Farmers. “We know that people have lost their jobs because of COVID-19, and we know there is significant and urgent demand for trained workers in the dairy sector,” Damien O’Connor said. “We want to continue to connect people with jobs in dairy, and more broadly in the primary industries because we know these sectors will be key to our economic recovery. “GoDairy has a crucial role to play. The programme has a history of successfully recruiting and supporting people into dairy careers, over the past 15 years. The Government and the sector are giving it a welcome boost to encourage new-found farmers, by investing $3.5 million to expand this crucial work during our economic recovery,” Damien O’Connor said. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said that although the new campaign is still in its early days, there is good interest from people wanting to pursue a dairy farming career. “Like all successful businesses, dairy farming needs good talent. Currently there are 1,000 job vacancies on dairy farms nationwide,” Tim Mackle said. “There are excellent career opportunities in farming – from doing the books, to working with machinery, caring for animals, and managing staff. Technology plays a major part in the business too. “To date, GoDairy has interest from people across a range of career backgrounds – from tourism and hospitality to engineering, finance, and truck drivers. While many people might not be familiar with the day-to-day of dairy farming, most have work and life skills that […]

Scientists warn of increasing threats of invasive species

International researchers are warning that the threats posed by invasive alien species are increasing rapidly. In a new study they say that urgent action is required to prevent, detect, and control invaders, but also point to New Zealand as showing the way forward. The research shows how climate and land-use change, alongside international trade are exacerbating the impacts of biological invasions worldwide. It highlights the role of emerging pathways such as the online trade and the transport of species across oceans on rafts of plastic. “Many countries around the world are only now waking up to the threat of invasive alien species, an issue New Zealand has been tackling for many decades,” says Distinguished Professor Philip Hulme of the Bio-Protection Research Centre, one of the lead authors of the study. “New Zealanders have led the eradication of rats across increasingly larger islands, have wiped out the salt-marsh mosquito, not once but twice, and we are making progress to be the first country to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis from its cattle herds.” Unfortunately, New Zealand is not immune to the problems of invasive alien species, with myrtle rust being a recent arrival that is here to stay, and we have a legacy of pests and weeds that were introduced in less enlightened times. “We are known as one of the weediest countries in the world and we still have much to do to restore our natural landscapes,” says Professor Hulme. Climate change and the demands of increased international trade will continue to put pressure on our borders requiring even more robust biosecurity strategies. “Our success at tackling COVID-19 has grabbed the world’s attention,” says Professor Hulme. “We should build on this to highlight our world leadership in tackling a wide range of invasive species so that we become the global one-stop-shop for […]

Primary industries drive Covid recovery

Primary sector exports are on track to grow by $1.7 billion on last year helping underpin NZ’s Covid-19 recovery, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. “Overseas consumers are now more than ever looking for healthy, New Zealand-made food. We’ve seen that with the sustained demand for fresh fruit, particularly in Europe and North America and the strong demand for red meat in China,” Damien O’Connor said. “Our farmers and growers are in a strong position to help us reboot our economy. Along with the sector, the Government is focused on creating more demand, pursuing greater market opportunities to generate higher export returns and growing rural communities with new jobs. “In lieu of the June 2020 edition of the Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI), the Ministry for Primary Industries today released the Economic Update for the Primary Industries, showing for the year-to-date primary industries export revenue is tracking 4.5 per cent ($1.7 billion) higher than the previous year. Dairy exports were particularly strong since the start of March, up $512 million (12 per cent) compared to the same time last year. Chinese meat imports surged in the second half of 2019. The animal protein shortage, due to the African swine fever outbreak in China, should help support prices and demand over the next year. There was a strong start to the season for apple and kiwifruit exporters with revenue up $274 million (18 per cent) on last year since the start of March. Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash said the Chinese market for rock lobster was significantly affected by Covid-19, but is now showing signs of recovery as seafood markets begin to reopen. “New Zealand kaimoana enjoys an excellent reputation around the world, built on the hard work of generations of fishing operators. The almost $2 billion in export revenue it brings into […]

Innovations-at-the-heart-of-Fieldays-Online

Innovation at the heart of Fieldays Online

Fieldays Online is the New Zealand National Fieldays Society’s innovative move towards an increasingly digital and borderless future. “Innovation is part of our DNA. This is no different to the first ever Fieldays when organisers expected around 3000 people but ended up hosting 10,000. 52 years on and we have essentially been forced to adapt and try something new. In many ways this harks back to the real reason the event was started, which is why we’ve invested heavily in the online offering. It’s the most innovative thing we have ever done,” says Peter Nation, CEO of the NZNFS. Fittingly, the virtual event will see the return of the famous Fieldays Innovation Awards which has opened digital doors to international exhibitors keen to be a part of the globally renown awards. A sentiment echoed by Irish agritech exhibitors MagGrow, who are bringing their innovative crop technology to the competition. “Fieldays Innovation Awards is pretty much recognised as one of the premier agricultural award events in the world. We see this as a fantastic opportunity to connect with potential customers, investors, commercial and local research partners. It also provides MagGrow a fantastic platform to reach out to a wider audience through the various media channels. “New Zealand’s international reputation as a leader in the agritech sector is well established. In addition, the country is home to world leading agricultural research centres and universities. The country’s appetite for new technology that supports sustainable farming make it an ideal market for MagGrow’s award winning and innovative technology.” More locally, the return of 2016 entrants, Antahi, will be launching their new ‘Trusti Colostrum Management System’. A product the team have been working on since 2017. An affordable, environmentally friendly, animal friendly and highly practical pasteurising/storage/feeding system for colostrum. Antahi says their 2016 experience provided […]

Turbulence in the meat industry detrimental to consumer confidence

Following the news (June 3rd) that Brazilian labor prosecutors have filed a petition with a local court demanding the closure of a JBS SA pork plant due to the outbreak of novel Coronavirus, a decision that is still pending according to news reports. Carmen Bryan, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her commentary on how this could impact consumer confidence: “The challenges JBS are currently facing from Covid-19 are shared across the entire meat sector worldwide; meat processing plants are quickly being labelled as hotspots for the virus and, should this continue, it could deter many consumers from purchasing such products. Confusion around how the virus is spread and where it came from reinforces what we are already seeing as cautionary behavior from some consumers, and may lead them to opt for alternative meat offerings. “It’s worth noting that, as of week 10 of GlobalData’s weekly Covid-19 tracker survey, published on June 3rd, 73% of Brazilian consumers are concerned about the safety of product packaging* – and such concerns will also translate to production further down in the supply chain, particularly as people demand more transparency from brands and operators. Across different sectors, Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of adapting operations to guarantee people and product safety in the face of the crisis – something that the meat industry continues to strive to achieve.”

Dairy farmers say ‘yes’ to milksolids levy

Levy paying dairy farmers have voted to continue the sector’s milksolids levy. The one in six-year milksolids levy vote closed on May 30, with provisional results showing 57 percent of the 11,747 levy paying dairy farmers voted – and of those who voted, 69 percent voted ‘yes’ to continuing the levy. Weighting the vote by milksolids production shows even greater representation and support for the levy, with this year’s votes equating to a 67 percent farmer vote and 74 percent voting ‘yes’. DairyNZ, the industry good body for dairy farmers, is funded by the milksolids levy. Chair Jim van der Poel said the vote provides DairyNZ with confidence as it heads into the future. “New Zealand’s dairy sector is progressive and our farmers have illustrated a clear mandate that they want an industry good organisation which represents and supports them to continue as a successful sector,” said Mr van der Poel. “The milksolids levy underpins a wide range of industry good work, including the sector strategy Dairy Tomorrow, and we are pleased this year’s levy vote will enable DairyNZ to continue that work on behalf of dairy farmers.” The milksolids levy vote was a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote for each levy paying farm owner, sharemilker or leaseholder. “Final results will be available once the total milksolids produced for the 2019/20 season is known in late June. However, we don’t expect any significant change.” A clear indication of farmer support is required for DairyNZ to make a new levy application to the Minister for Primary Industries to approve the ongoing levy for the next six years. “I’d like to thank every dairy farmer who voted. Having a farmer mandate gives us a stronger voice when important decisions are underway, where sector feedback can result in significant change.” Mr van der […]

Trade Me comes to Fieldays

New Zealand’s number one digital marketplace, Trade Me, has partnered with Fieldays to deliver their first ever online event. The online powerhouse is set to streamline Fieldays’ digital transactions and customer service experience. “It makes sense at a time of global uncertainty that two trustworthy brands come together. Trade Me, like Fieldays, is all about connecting people and businesses. It’s a winning combination, to have them on board ensures we have our digital platforms and transactions running perfectly,” says New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation. Now a household name, over 1.5 million Kiwis visit Trade Me daily and the platform offers greater opportunities to reach a wider audience. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the New Zealand National Fieldays Society to power online sales and help with marketing the 2020 Virtual Fieldays to Kiwis. The agricultural sector makes up a massive part of our Trade Me community and we’d like to help make this ‘first of its kind’ event a success,” says Ivan Fuyala, Head of Audience at Trade Me. For over 50 years Kiwis and those around the globe have trusted The New Zealand National Fieldays Society to deliver an iconic event that brings town and country together. “This is a first for Fieldays, we know the physical event and all it entails is incomparable, but we’re determined to deliver a world class event despite the current circumstances we face as a nation and globally,” says Nation. Fieldays is attended by approximately 130,000 people every year. From the beloved Tractor Pull competition to the Innovations Centre, Fieldays is a space for old friends to catch up, entrepreneurs to launch their innovations and businesses to connect and generate sales with their customers. The Southern Hemisphere’s largest agri-event generates approximately $180M for the local economy, while on a national level it provides […]

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