Events to help farmers deal with testing times – Shawn McAvinue :
As mortgage rates and on-farm inflation rise and commodity prices fall, a series of events are being held across Southland to help farmers navigate testing times.
Federated Farmers Southland meat and wool chairman Dean Rabbidge, of Wyndham, said Federated Farmers Southland was hosting three “Tips for Tough Times” events next week.
The events were designed to provide advice for farmers on getting through tough periods.
“Even if it is one or two things they can take home and apply to their farm and [it] improves their position over the next 12 months, whether that be business or personal.” . .
Genetic engineering to the rescue? – Peter Dearden and Stephen Goldson :
Aotearoa-New Zealand’s geography, ecology and history leave us with unique and difficult biological challenges. The country’s ecology is such that invasive pests can rapidly multiply and become a major threat to agriculture and sometimes public health.
So while we struggle to control already-introduced damaging pests, we must also remain vigilant against new incursions. This century’s invaders include the beehive-destroying varroa mite, cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis, myrtle rust and most recently the fall armyworm that threatens crops such as sweetcorn and maize.
Even with world-class biosecurity, threatening organisms will continue to arrive on these shores.
Continuing expansion of international trade, greater movement of people and the environmental changes of global warming are going to heighten the risks of incursion and spread of pest species.
The rising threat comes at a time when we are having to reconsider the tools to control pests already here. Our reliance on insecticides, for example, is becoming problematic as we increase our understanding of the complexity of non-target effects and consequent ecosystem damage and potential regulations from target markets. . .
Innovators and champions honoured at 2023 Arable Awards :
Doing things differently and striving for new ways to lift productivity and income helped earn Blair and Jody Drysdale of Hopefield Hemp the Innovation title at the Arable Awards of New Zealand 2023.
Those hallmarks featured strongly among winners of many of the 12 awards presented tonight at Christchurch Airforce Museum in front of an arable sector audience of more than 600.
As Federated Farmers Arable Chair David Birkett noted, that turnout to the awards is not far short of double the ticket sales of the inaugural event last year and is testament to the good spirit and progressiveness in the sector, and eagerness to “celebrate our best and brightest”.
Judges said the Drysdales, third generation farmers at Balfour in northern Southland, had the courage to review their traditional arable and beef production systems and step into the world of hemp growing, processing, manufacturing and marketing. From early days when they would process hemp hand and body cream in a kitchen cake mixer, they’ve steadily upped production to now encompass a full range of hemp oils, balms and health capsules. . .
Agribusiness teachers required – Shawn McAvinue :
An agribusiness teacher shortage is biting across New Zealand, a woman on a southern sojourn to attract more staff to the sector says.
Agribusiness in Schools adviser Melanie Simmons, of Hamilton, said agribusiness was a subject taught to years 12 and 13 pupils at more than 110 high schools in New Zealand.
Some agribusiness teachers were postponing their retirement due to concerns the school would have to drop the subject when they left, leaving a gap for the scores of pupils wanting to learn the subject.
“It is a subject the teacher and pupils are passionate about.” . .
10,000 days to predator freedom, community leaders on why it’s more than just the birds :
As of Tuesday 15 August 2023, Aotearoa will have 10,000 days to accomplish the ambitious Predator Free goal of eradicating possums, rats, and stoats by the end of 2050. Thousands of community groups across the country are doing their part and the movement is gaining momentum exponentially, bringing people together for a common goal.
In celebration of the 10,000-day countdown which we see as an opportunity to take a moment to imagine what the future will hold, Predator Free 2050 Limited reached out to some top community leaders throughout New Zealand and asked them what they thought about the gains being made by the movement.
Sir Graham Henry, who knows something about winning teams, says that Te Korowai o Waiheke, the community-led trust established to make Waiheke the world’s first predator free urban island, is “a big team all committed, all working together – you can’t get much better than that!”
Estelle Leask, speaking for her Ngāi Tahu whakapapa, ki Murihiku (Southland) community, says Predator Free 2050 is about more than biodiversity. “I found purpose in my life, created wonderful friendships with likeminded people doing really meaningful mahi enhancing mana, and enabling me to practice kaitiakitanga o te taiao.” . . .
Major phosphate discovery crucial to sustainable food production – John Rigolizzo Jr :
The best news you haven’t heard this summer is that the world’s supply of phosphate just got a lot bigger.
You probably don’t spend much time thinking about phosphate, let alone worrying about it, but it’s a critical ingredient of phosphorus, one of the five essential elements of life.
Simply put, phosphate makes things grow—especially when we use it to create the synthetic fertilizer that is essential to everyone’s food security.
Explorers in Norway say they have discovered a massive deposit of high-quality phosphate rock. It could contain 70 billion tons or more, essentially doubling the world’s proven reserves of 71 billion tons. This discovery breakthrough means that fertilizer will remain a viable food production tool for most of the rest of the century—and that farmers like me will use it to produce more food than ever before. . .
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