How the freshwater plan could ruin my town – Dani Darke:
King Country sheep and beef farmer Dani Darke says her community is under threat if the government’s Essential Water policy passes into law.
Nestled in the heart of the King Country, the settlement of Aria embodies the richness of community spirit that is associated with heartland New Zealand.
With a population of 300 and a bustling CBD of 68, it is a place where everyone knows your name.
The Cosmopolitan Club acts as the community hub. Here age is irrelevant and 70-plus year olds socialise with 18-year-olds. We have thriving squash and tennis clubs and a primary school boasting a role of 50. . .
Farmers only lukewarm on plan :
Farmer and new Environment Canterbury councillor Ian Mackenzie is cautious in his enthusiasm for the Government’s about-turn on the Emissions Trading Scheme.
In a world-first government-industry partnership the Government has backed down on taxing farmers and brokered a deal with the agricultural sector to manage and mitigate on-farm emissions.
It will avoid farmers being included in the ETS if they can commit to a new sector-led plan.
“Clearly, this is good news but it doesn’t necessarily send me skipping across the spring green paddocks with joy,” Mackenzie, an Ashburton cropping and livestock farmer, said. He was also Federated Farmers environment spokesman and a member of the Land and Water Forum. . .
MIA big guns next up in China – Alan Williams:
It follows a successful visit by a smaller technical team in late September that made clear NZ’s keenness to partner with the Chinese industry to help modernise and improve supply chain systems, including cold store infrastructure, the association’s trade and economic manager Sirma Karapeeva said. . .
https://twitter.com/BradMarkham81/status/1186553550668591104
Synlait Milk buys Canterbury’s Dairyworks :
Synlait Milk is buying Canterbury’s Dairyworks for $112 million as part of its push into the consumer market.
The speciality milk producer said Dairyworks was a good fit for its everyday dairy strategy, and complemented the recent purchase of cheese manufacturer Talbot Forest.
Dairyworks supplied New Zealand with almost half of its cheese, a quarter of its butter, as well as milk powder and Deep South ice-cream. . .
90-year-old Northland Kiwifruit farmer feeding the world – Susan Botting:
Northland grower Zela Charlton, 90, enjoys feeding the world from her Glenbervie kiwifruit orchard.
“My reward is feeding the people of the world. Even if it’s a bit of a luxury, kiwifruit is a very nourishing food,” Charlton said.
The nonagenarian loves kiwifruit – both green and gold.
“You can’t imagine what a perfectly ripe kiwifruit taken straight off the vine tastes like – it’s out of this world.” . .
Win for prime agrcultural land – Mitchel Clapham:
NSW Farmers has lobbied long and hard to protect our prime agricultural land and water resources in the face of increased mining and CSG activity.
On May 1, 2012, NSW Farmers spearheaded the ‘Protect our Land and Water Rally’ in Macquarie Street, joining with many other organisations like the CWA to galvanise support for local food and fibre production.
In response, the state government developed a Strategic Regional Land Use Policy and Gateway process, which was supposed to map and protect Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land (BSAL), which comprises only 3 per cent of NSW. . .
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