Developments

DairyNZ to Te Papa: We’re not mad, we’re just disappointed

“It’s incredibly disappointing to see our national museum Te Papa reinforcing an overly simplistic anti-farming narrative that negatively impacts the public’s perception of New Zealand farmers and the dairy sector” DairyNZ Chief Executive Dr Tim Mackle says. “The water in their display is not reflective of what your average farm stream in NZ would look like. If you don’t believe me, you just need to look at the countless videos and pictures farmers have posted to social media to correct the perception. “Farmers were right in demanding to know when and where this water was taken from. Te Papa have since confessed that the water wasn’t actually from a farm at all but was made up in a back room using brown dye. “It’s not just about the quality of the water in the bottle either” Dr Mackle added. “The imagery on the bottle of a cow standing in water defecating is highly deceptive and entirely out of step with the reality of dairy farming in New Zealand today where we are proud to have fenced off 98.3% of waterways in recent years. “Farmers who have done the right thing and voluntarily invested their time and their money to fence off waterways and plant riparian strips deserve better than this from their national museum. “Dairy farmers have fenced over 24,744km of waterways. Under the Sustainable Dairy Water Accord New Zealand dairy farmers have achieved some fantastic results: 98.3% of waterways have been fenced on dairy farms to keep cattle out, 100% of stock crossing points have bridges and culverts and 100% of farms have been assessed for effluent management practices. “The situation is all the more disappointing because it was only last week that we hosted our 7th annual Dairy Environment Leaders Forum dinner at Te Papa to celebrate the […]

DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand welcome sector-wide vision

DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand welcomes the launch of a shared sector-wide vision to be world leaders in the sustainable production of high-quality food and fibre. “We are supportive of the Primary Sector Council’s broad vision of having a coordinated approach across sectors and Government that will help us develop our international brand and deliver more value for farmers,” Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Chair Andrew Morrison said. “New Zealand farmers are constantly having to adapt to shifting consumer demands in order to compete internationally and achieve a premium in the global marketplace. Increasingly consumers are asking for assurances that the product is both sustainably and ethically produced. “We believe that our farmers are already world leaders when it comes to the production of high-quality, pasture-based products with a low environmental impact – but that doesn’t mean we can get complacent. We are always striving to improve” DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel added. “Sustainable farming has a critical role to play in New Zealand’s future prosperity and wellbeing. If we all work together to embrace change, adapt and thrive, Kiwi farmers have a bright future ahead. The Primary Sector Council’s vision – Fit for a Better World – aligns with work that is already underway from both DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand in the form of both Dairy Tomorrow and Taste Pure Nature. Dairy Tomorrow is our dairy sector strategy to ensure dairy farming is sustainable and profitable into the future. It includes six key commitments: • We will protect and nurture the environment for future generations; • We will build the world’s most competitive and resilient dairy farming businesses; • We will produce the highest quality and most valued dairy nutrition; • We will be world leading in on-farm animal care; • We will […]

Food and beverage exporters urge WTO to fix Appellate Body

Major New Zealand food and beverage exporters are urging World Trade Organisation Members to accelerate efforts to ‘fix’ its trade disputes mechanism which is currently suspended. Organisations representing New Zealand meat, dairy, horticulture, wine, and seafood exporters are deeply concerned that attempts to reach a consensus on the Appellate Body WTO have failed. This important body which adjudicates on contested rulings over disputes between member countries is now unable to function, leaving a key gap in the enforceability mechanism of the rules-based trading system. It is critical that WTO Members continue to support, but also to reform and improve, the multilateral, rules-based trade system to reflect the current and future needs of trade. A stable enforceability mechanism for the rules-based trading system provides certainty and confidence for our exporters when pursuing opportunities in global markets. New Zealand food and beverage exporters urge all WTO Members to redouble their efforts and to engage constructively in the process led by Ambassador David Walker of New Zealand to agree a pathway forward that avoids the continued suspension of the appeal process of the dispute settlement mechanism. Engaging in international trade underpins the prosperity of New Zealand food and beverage supply chains and our rural communities that produce food for the world. It has allowed our farmers access to best-practice and technology that has in turn improved the efficiency, sustainability and quality of food production. It has contributed to levelling the playing field and a more predictable trading environment. It is important to acknowledge the role this has played more broadly in promoting global food and beverage security and production. New Zealand food and beverage exporters recognise that WTO and some of its functions are not without flaws and need reform. However, WTO must also be given credit for helping to drive the prosperity […]

Exports up

Exports of dairy products, beef, and lamb, particularly to China, increased in value in October 2019, Stats NZ said today. However, the rises were partly offset by falls in logs and kiwifruit. In October 2019, the value of total goods exports rose $206 million (4.3 percent) from October 2018 to reach $5.0 billion. The rise in exports was led by milk powder, up $194 million (32 percent) from October 2018. The rise was quantity-led, but unit values were also up. “In each month at the start of the 2019/20 export season, the total value of milk powder exports was up on the same month of the previous year,” international statistics manager Darren Allan said. “These rises reflect higher export quantities and higher prices.” Exports of lamb (up $67 million or 27 percent), and beef (up $59 million or 39 percent) were the other main contributors to the rise in exports. The quantity of lamb exports rose 20 percent in October 2019 compared with October 2018, and that of beef exports rose 27 percent over the same period. Unit prices of both beef and lamb were also up on the same month in 2018. These rises were partly offset by falls in untreated logs (down $93 million), and green kiwifruit (down $47 million). “Export prices of untreated log exports in October have now increased by 11 percent since a low point was reached in July this year,” Mr Allan said. “However, the total export value of untreated logs continues to be lower than the same month of the previous year, and in October, quantities were down by 19 percent.” The monthly movements in dairy products, beef, lamb, and logs were led by exports of the respective commodities to China, New Zealand’s largest export partner. Exports to China rose $279 million in […]

Alliance Group distributes $15.2 million in loyalty payments

Food and solutions co-operative Alliance Group has paid its farmer shareholders a further $1.67 million in loyalty payments, bringing the total distributed for the season to $15.2 million. The quarterly payments have been made to the co-operative’s Platinum and Gold shareholders who supply 100 per cent of their livestock to the company. The latest payments cover the July to September period. Last season, Alliance paid out $14.6 million in loyalty payments to shareholders. Alliance Group Chief Executive David Surveyor said the increase on last season is good news for farmer shareholders. “Our loyalty payments programme rewards our farmers for committed and consistent supply. As a co-operative, we are focused on ensuring the interests of our shareholders are at the heart of every decision we make. Farmer shareholders also benefit in other ways including yield contracts, priority processing, an opportunity to participate in premium portfolio opportunities and free store stock facilitation.” Platinum and Gold shareholders are paid an additional 10 cents per kilogram for each lamb, six cents/kg for a sheep, 8.5 cents/kg for cattle and 10 cents/kg for deer. Alliance will be holding its Annual Meeting at Orlando Country, 748 Rangitikei Line, Palmerston North, on Wednesday 18 December, at 5:00pm.

Science New Zealand Awards honour Plant & Food Research scientists

A team that has developed a ground-breaking wildfish harvesting system, a leading environmental scientist and an emerging plant geneticist from Plant & Food Research were amongst the 21 scientists and research teams recognised at Science New Zealand 2018 National Awards at Parliament in Wellington. The Precision Seafood Harvesting (PSH) Team* is the recipient of the Plant & Food Research Team Award. The team has created and developed a world-leading technology that is changing the way New Zealand fishes – the Modular Harvesting System (MHS). It answers the need for a more environmentally-sustainable way of fishing that maximises quality and limits impact to non-target catch. The development of the system put the needs of the fish at the centre of the design process, using the team’s deep understanding of fish physiology and behaviour to allow fish to be landed alive. This allows non-target catch to potentially be returned to the sea, and delivers fish that are less stressed and fatigued in better condition for export. Through the PSH Primary Growth Partnership, a collaboration was formed between Plant & Food Research, three seafood companies (Moana, Sanford and Sealord) and the Ministry for Primary Industries to commercialise the MHS. The MHS has since received landmark approvals from Fisheries New Zealand for use in some inshore and deepwater fisheries with species that account for 57% of the country’s $650 million finish exports. Dr Brent Clothier has been presented with the Plant & Food Research Lifetime Achievement Award. As a world-leading soil and water scientist with 44 years of research experience, Dr Clothier has enhanced our understanding of the natural capital that the environment provides to grow our crops and to make informed land use decisions. His work on water footprinting, soil science and climate change has prepared our primary production systems for tomorrow’s challenges. […]

EastPack recognised as Tauranga Business of the Year 2019

EastPack, New Zealand’s largest Kiwifruit post-harvest company had a very successful night at the Westpac Tauranga Business Awards 2019 on Friday, picking up four awards including the ACC Workplace Health and Safety award, the Business Innovation award, the Manufacturing and Distribution award, and the supreme award of Tauranga Business of the Year 2019. “Each of these awards would have been a great achievement in its own right but we were delighted and humbled to be recognised across so many categories and to get the big prize at the end of the night,” says EastPack Chief Executive Hamish Simson. The recognition comes as EastPack moves closer to its goal of increasing fruit volumes to over 50 million trays in the next five years. It’s on track, having doubled throughput from 19 million trays in 2012 to 41 million trays in 2018. EastPack has also celebrated a number of industry firsts in recent years including the opening of the industry’s first fully-automated lights out coolstore in May. EastPack is focused on building people, plant and process capability to maintain performance and employee engagement during rapid industry growth. “EastPack is proud to be part of this business community and with our people, culture and enthusiasm for our industry, we will help keep this region a great place to live and work,” says Simson. “I would like to thank our team for their passion and hard work that has enabled us all to get EastPack to where we are today. This is a celebration of how far we have come in the last few years, and gives us confidence that we have the team, culture and ability to make the exciting future ahead of us a great success. “We are proud to be part of this business community and look forward to supporting the […]

Who will pick up Essential Freshwater’s $80b price tag?

Excessively stringent freshwater policies that won’t achieve significantly better water quality outcomes will cost New Zealanders more than $80 billion over the next thirty years, says DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle. “The water quality limits under Essential Freshwater are so severe that the net result is a significant economic loss, both regionally and nationally, potentially without the environmental gains they are hoping for,” Dr Mackle said. “An $80 billion price tag equates to a cost of over $38,000 for every household in the country, according to independent and robust economic analysis of the Essential Freshwater proposals. “These costs are more than three times higher in Southland, Taranaki and the West Coast. Here, they rise to around $120,000 per household. “This will have a devastating impact on regional employment, too. Our analysis shows that there will be an extra 800 households in Southland and 1000 in Taranaki left with a breadwinner out of work. “These are significant costs to be borne, particularly in rural communities, and they should not be taken lightly. “These points emphasise the role of dairy farming as the economic engine of the regions where there is no guarantee another sector will replace it. “By 2050 this will be costing the country $6 billion per year – equivalent to the cost of unmitigated climate change in that year, predicted by the OECD. “Our current scientific understanding and economic modelling indicates there is a more pragmatic way to achieve similar environmental outcomes at less cost to the economy and communities,” said Dr Mackle. “To be clear, the Essential Freshwater policy isn’t all about economics or money. Healthy and swimmable waterways are important to all New Zealanders, including dairy farmers, who share the same aspirations to protect our rivers, lakes and wetlands.   “Up to twenty percent of New Zealand waterways run […]

Jim-Curran-of-Alliance-Groups-Lorneville-Plant-near-Invercargill-tries-out-the-exoskeleton-NZFood-website

Meat processing sector trials ‘wearable’ technology to reduce injuries

New wearable technology designed to reduce the risk of injury is being trialled by New Zealand’s meat processing sector. The Suit-X Exoskeleton is a spring-loaded, non-mechanical device worn by workers to provide strength and support for mechanical and repetitive tasks. The suits reduce forces, cutting the risk of injury and increasing productivity, especially during periods of sustained bending and overhead reaching. The back and shoulder suits, which can be worn on their own or together, do not impede everyday tasks such as walking, driving or climbing a ladder. They do not require the use of computers or batteries. A study using surface sensors on the muscles during scaffold building demonstrated a 45 per cent reduction in muscle activity required for the task. Developed in the United States by Suit-X, the Exoskeleton technology was recently demonstrated at a series of workshops across the country by the Australian-based company Biosymm, supported by the Meat Industry Association (MIA) and WorkSafe New Zealand. Tim Ritchie, chief executive of the Meat Industry Association, says investing in technology is playing a pivotal role in the sector’s efforts to improve its health and safety performance. “We have significantly reduced the injury rates over time, with the number of ACC injury claims more than halving since 2004. However, we are committed to lifting our performance further by exploring new technologies to remove or reduce risk. “We believe good health and safety is more than compliance. We have a responsibility to look after our people to ensure they go home safe and well.” The MIA and WorkSafe New Zealand signed a Partnership Agreement in April 2018, says Mr Ritchie. “We are committed to sharing intelligence on critical harm and injury trends and issues, facilitating industry-good research to reduce injuries and illness, assisting in worker involvement, and supporting health and […]

Fieldays significant economic contribution

Fieldays continues to contribute significantly to the regional and national economy, according to the recent Economic Impact Report conducted by Dr Warren Hughes of the New Zealand Institute for Business Research at the University of Waikato. An impressive $549M in sales revenue for New Zealand firms was generated by the event with $183M going into the Waikato region alone. This national sales revenue figure is an increase of over $50M from last year’s figures. Based on the official event attendance figures for 2019 of 128,747, it shows that each person though the gate contributes around $4,200 to the economy. New Zealand National Fieldays Society General Manager of Commercial Nick Dromgool speaks of the fantastic results shown in this year’s Economic Impact Report. “It’s really encouraging to see such great numbers in terms of economic contribution, employment and GDP from this year’s Economic Impact Report of Fieldays. We heard from several of our bigger exhibitors that this was a good year for them so it’s great to have this backed up by the numbers,” says Dromgool. The report states that over 2,000 full-year jobs have been sustained in the New Zealand economy from the 2019 event with almost 900 jobs sustained specifically in the Waikato region. Another impressive figure from the report was that $247M of additional GDP was generated for the New Zealand economy which is an increase of $21M from 2018. $80M was also added to Waikato’s GDP. The event also proved hugely beneficial to the Waikato region with it estimated that every gate entry resulted in $312 in direct spending in the Waikato hospitality sectors including accommodation, restaurants, bars and retail trade. The estimated brand value of Fieldays continues to rise with it being estimated conservatively at $610M following the 2019 event. This is a promising increase of […]

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