February 2008

Ashburton to host 40th Young Farmer contest
29feb08: "The theme of this year's Contest is about innovation. Innovate 2008 will showcase modern technology and its place in farming," says Grand Final Convenor Duncan McArthur.

Solid Energy should forget
about southern lignite idea
28feb08: The Green Party is less than impressed with Solid Energy. Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said Solid Energy has to be told to stop wasting taxpayers' money on pie-in-the sky lignite to liquid fuel schemes.

Other E. coli could be potentially dangerous
28feb08: Despite millions of dollars spent on food safety research over the last 10 years, ground beef recalls due to E. coli O157:H7 were higher in 2007 than in 2006.

Research to boost ruminant productivity
28feb08: AgResearch has signalled its intention to raise ruminant productivity and welfare standards over the long term with the announcement of a formal collaboration with one of the world’s leading animal health research institutes.

Three new directors for PPCS - Chairman rolled from board

27feb08: For the second time in two and half months a Chairman of a southern-based meat company has been rolled from the board by farmer-shareholders.

Herstall Ulrich, Ian Grogan and Rob Hewett have been elected to the Board of PPCS at the expense of Reese Hart (Chairman) Alistair Polson and Martin Hall.

Farmers ready for farmer-owned single entity in meat industry
27feb08: Never before have so many sheep farmers been keen on the idea of merger within their industry. The southern sheep farmer is not usually the type to make drastic changes but the recent low prices for lamb coupled with increasing land values has been the impetus he has needed to look for other options both inside and outside of his industry.

Birth control shot shows potential
27Feb08: Colorado State University researchers are working to perfect two short-term birth control methods that may eventually be injected by dart into wild animals for managing wildlife overpopulation.

FF Bees worried about
legislation rush
27feb08: Federated Bees is extremely concerned that important legislation is being rushed through without time for proper consultation from industry.

MAF trying to limit coconut fibre weed
27feb08: Biosecurity New Zealand is today working in close co-operation with the nursery and gardening industry to limit the distribution of suspected pest weeds through contaminated imported coconut fibre.

Southland farmers supportive
of Alliance Group meat plan

25feb08: A good-natured, but passionate, group of farmers gave Alliance Group their support and a mandate to further investigate the co-operative's concept of a single entity.

About 350 farmers turned out to hear the company detail their solution at Ascot Park Hotel this morning.

Chairman Owen Poole opened the meeting by introducing himself as the new chairman and telling farmers if the plan was successful his chairmanship could be the shortest in the company's history ... and if the plan was not successful then, again, he would not be chairman for long!

Record prices for prime cattle in UK
23feb08: The weekly sale of primestock saw prime cattle reach their dearest level in recent memory at Cockermouth (Cumbria, UK), last week with a prime Limousin heifer fetching $NZ2072.

New lure dangerously
attractive for stoats
22feb08: The drive to control one of the worst predators of New Zealand's native wildlife has taken a leap forward with the development of a new, humane lure by an Auckland wild animal pest control specialist.

Farming in Cuba might soon get a boost
21feb08: Without Fidel Castro as president, Cuba is more likely to launch reforms to boost food production, create oil industry jobs and put more pesos in citizens' pockets.

OPINION:
Give the meat companies a break!
21feb08: In the last few days I've heard a lot of criticism towards the meat companies and I don't think that the farmers who are being so critical are being very fair. The Alliance meetings start soon so surely ...

Best result in four years for wool exporter
21feb08: Wool farmers, if they still exist, may well be bleeding but it appears that things are starting to improve in some related sectors.

Wool prices lift in NZ
21feb08: New Zealand Wool Services International Ltd reports that prices regained ground at today's combined auction of 21,000 bales of North and South Island wool in Napier and Christchurch.

OPINION:
The mega merger of the meat industry
20feb08: What a difference the loss of two directors makes. "Alliance is the pride of Southland and there was no way our independence could be compromised by merger proposals". Eight weeks later ...

Five ways to stretch the haystack
20feb08: For many farmers the hay stack looks a lot smaller this year than it has in years past. But unless a producer is planning on getting out of the business they might want to consider how they're going to stretch that hay stack until spring.

Sheep prices buoyant in Ireland, but NZ could spoil it
19feb08: Sheep prices remain buoyant this week with stock still in very tight supply. Yesterday, prices of 420c/kg were being paid for good quality lambs across the country and factories were paying up for 24kg cw.

Frog farm nets a fortune
19feb08: Frogs may turn into princes only in fairy tales, but in real life one farmer living in Vietnam has found that frogs can also easily turn into huge profits.

OPINION:
Fert price up again - another nail in the coffin
19feb08: I see that Ballance has put up their fertiliser prices again. I almost wonder if there is a conspiracy to kill of every last sheep and beef supplier in this country.

Aussies eye Russian meat market
19feb08: While New Zealand meat processors appear hung up on the UK, the Australians are looking at Russia as the latest frontier for their red meat industry.

Ballance lifts fertiliser prices by up to 20%
19feb08: Ballance Agri-Nutrients has increased the price of its core fertiliser products by up to 20%. The co-operative says the price has gone up because of ongoing global demand for raw materials.

Abuse of animals can be grounds for employee dismissal
19feb08:An employee who was dismissed for repeatedly hitting a cow with a plastic pipe has lost his claim for unjustified dismissal.

Most farmers favour consolidation of meat industry
Most farmers have now seen the light and are convinced of the advantages of industry consolidation, according to Natural Producers Company Chairman Murray Rohloff.

Fonterra holds off on structure change
Fonterra has decided to spend more time in consultation and discussion before it asks farmers to vote on any changes to its proposed capital structure.

Elworthy, MIAG popular at field days
If any site at the Waimumu field days drew the crowds in today it was No. 8 - the Meat Industry Action Group's site. Sheep and beef farmers flocked to the site to hear South Canterbury farmer and businessman Forbes Elworthy speak.

Elworthy to present his meat industry plan
The New Zealand meat industry can once again be profitable and provide a good living for sheep and beef farmers, according to Forbes Elworthy.

Farmers urged to retain meat industry ownership
Hold on to your ownership of the meat industry with both hands, that's the message to farmers from MIAG Chairman Keith Milne.

Field days site to offer meat industry hope
Most of the sites at the Southern Field Days at Waimumu will be relatively depressing for sheep and beef farmers this year - as most sites are focused on parting farmers with their money.

Carbon neutrality not nonsense in NZ: Floyd
The ideas that New Zealand cannot become carbon neutral and that carbon trading will push up the cost of pastoral farming are both total nonsense, according to farm business sustainability specialist Peter Floyd.

Bores could become issue
Farmers and households who rely on aquifers for their water supplies should ensure their bores are well maintained and make contingency plans in case their supply fails.

Signs looking good as UK sheep sector begins to spring back
Sheep producers, after one of the most difficult periods for many years, especially during the last quarter of 2007, are now enjoying something of a revival in their fortunes.

Drought could cost dairy farmers $500m
The worsening drought situation throughout the country could cost dairy farmers as much as $500 million by the time the season ends in May.

NZ wool meets mixed reception
New Zealand Wool Services International Ltd reports that prices of 20,800 bales at today's North and South Island wool auctions met a mixed reception, depending on style and preparation.

OPINION
Alliance chairman selected
The announcement of Owen Poole as the new chair of Alliance Group does not bode well for the future. While the experience and industry network of Mr Poole will be of value, the company has sent out a very clear signal that we can only expect more of the same.

Points of discussion offered to meat company
South Canterbury farmer John Gregan has put forward three points of discussion for the PPCS AGM to be held in Dunedin on 29 February.

Farm workers hung out to dry!
Workers in New Zealand just don't know how lucky they are... in South Africa yesterday a farmer was arrested for allegedly assaulting two of his employees.

Eligible NZ farmers seek special women
Any young single women who are in search of love, and who fancy a farmer could do well to get hold of the latest edition of the Australian Women's Weekly.

NZ farmers not so likely to get certain cancers
While overseas studies have indicated that dairy and beef farmers had an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin's, in New Zealand this was not the case.

Brighter lamb outlook in Australia
Despite being plagued by drought throughout most of 2007, the Australian lamb industry showed remarkable resilience last year and should be rewarded with a much brighter 2008.

Scientists hunt down potato origins - to Chile
More than 99 percent of all modern potato varieties planted today are the direct descendents of varieties that once grew in the lowlands of south-central Chile.

Positive approach needed for forestry
If New Zealand wants more forests to be planted, it must allow those who plant trees to benefit from the environmental services they provide to society.