Word of the day

Grubstake – money or other assistance furnished at a time of need or  of starting an enterprise; an amount of money or other help that someone gives to a new business in return for part of its profits; an amount of material, provisions, or money supplied to an enterprise (originally a prospector for ore) in return for a share in the resulting profits;  provisions, gear, etc., furnished to a prospector on condition of participating in the profits of any discoveries; to provide with a grubstake.

Sowell says

Even in democratic nations, there are people who can impose their vision on other people, with no consequences for being wrong and no requirement that they prove themselves right.

— Thomas Sowell Wisdom (@TheThomasSowell) November 22, 2023

Rural roundup

Federated Farmers say new government will restore farmer confidence :

The new Government have set out a clear and credible plan to get farming back on track and restore farmer confidence, says Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford.

“The last six years have been incredibly challenging for farmers and rural communities with a lot of impractical and expensive regulation. Farmer confidence is at record lows,” Langford says.

In the lead up to the election Federated Farmers released a rural roadmap with 12 policy priorities for the next Government that return some positivity to farming and get things back on track.

“The politicians have clearly sat up and taken notice, because the new Government have comprehensively adopted those policy priorities as their own. . . 

Work visa wage requirements ‘untenable’ :

Federated Farmers and DairyNZ will ask the new Government to remove the requirement that Accredited Employer Work Visa holders be paid at least the median wage.

“That wage requirement is simply untenable for the mostly entry-level farm assistant migrant staff needed to plug dairy workforce gaps,” Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre says.

The result is that farmers who can’t find New Zealanders to fill roles in a tight domestic labour market, and who are desperate to relieve pressure on already over-stretched existing staff, are forced to pay way over the odds for the entry-level migrant worker.

This undermines the financial viability of the business in a climate of high input costs and lower milk payouts, McIntyre says. . . 

Yeah mate I couldn’t spot you hiding there 😊 pic.twitter.com/L3UTlgXvyH

— Duncan Humm (@duncanyzf20) November 20, 2023

Honest Wolf wins top Rural Women NZ Business award:

Honest Wolf, a company producing wool-based luggage and accessories, has won the NZI Rural Women NZ Business Supreme Award.

It’s the first time the top award has been given to the winner of the Emerging Business category.

Hunterville-based Sophie and Sam Hurley started Honest Wolf in 2020 as a way to combat declining wool prices.

“This year we have seen the businesses that were created or were forced to pivot and evolve during the 2020 lockdown period really coming into their own now,” national president Gill Naylor said. . .

Industry focuses on improving fruit quality and strong performance in market leads to record forecast for Zespri growers :

Zespri has released its November forecast for the 2023/24 season, with Green, Organic Green and RubyRed per tray returns forecast at record levels, and Zespri SunGold varieties well up on last season.

Green is a particular standout, with the latest forecast Green per tray returns at a record level of $9.00. This compares to last season’s final Orchard Gate Return (OGR) of $5.78 per tray. For Zespri Organic Green, the forecast per tray is at $12.00, up from last season’s final OGR of $8.68.

For Zespri RubyRed, the OGR per tray is forecast at $26.10, above last season’s final OGR of $22.27. Forecast SunGold Kiwifruit returns are at $12.35, well above last season’s final OGR of $9.97, and forecast returns for Organic SunGold are also up at $14.15. The November forecast returns are up across all categories on the August forecast mainly due to improved fruit quality this season.

Zespri CEO Dan Mathieson says the results reflect the strong and growing demand for Zespri Kiwifruit, as well as the huge effort the industry has put into improving fruit quality this year. . . 

New Zealand’s avocado capital Katikati welcomes a unique orchard tourism business :

An innovative tourism business located in Katikati, the Avocado Capital of New Zealand, is breaking new ground by offering tours of a working avocado orchard, the first-of-its-kind in New Zealand.

Co-founded by Tim Rosamond and Michele Ricou, Avocado Tours offers visitors a unique opportunity to step into the world of avocados and discover the journey from tree to toast.

With avocado consumption on the rise and the increasing popularity of this delicious and nutritious fruit, Avocado Tours NZ aims to provide an informative and enjoyable experience for avocado enthusiasts and curious travellers alike. The guided tours offer a firsthand look at the workings of a fully operational avocado orchard.

“Our goal is to introduce visitors to the fascinating world of avocados and showcase the beauty and wonder of an avocado orchard,” says co-founder Tim. “We want to provide an educational and unforgettable experience that will leave our guests with a deeper appreciation for this incredible fruit.” . . 

 

Sheep and dogs. My young bloke contract musters and has an eye for good photos. pic.twitter.com/f1sYxes9O9

— Brian Leahy (@BrianLeahy11) November 21, 2023

Seaweed agribusiness innovative thinking only hope for environmental sustainability and food production challenges :

An historic agreement was signed today between a pioneering innovator in seaweed, and Crown Research Institute AgResearch.

AgResearch signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Paeroa-based AgriSea with the promise of benefit for the primary sector and prosperous agribusinesses and communities.

Guests included Coromandel MP Scott Simpson, who reflected on his own farming grandparents’ time when milking sheds were built next to streams for easy effluent disposal, and farmers “farmed with a matchbox”.

“That didn’t make them bad people or bad farmers, that was just the commonly accepted practice of the day,” Simpson said. “We’ve learnt a lot along the way, and some of the things we used to do, we wouldn’t dream of doing today. . . 

How ‘privileged’ am I?

An upbringing by parents who loved each other and their children; encouraged them to do their best; set boundaries and imposed consequences when they were breached; a stable marriage; a comfortable home; sufficient income for all needs and a few wants. . .  used to be thought of as normal.

Now it’s regarded as privilege.

So too are other factors, many governed by identity politics, as shown by the intersectionality calculator.

I scored 20 and was told that meant:

You are more privileged than 70% of others.
Please give more to those less fortunate.

How judgmental and condescending this is.

Those behind it have no way of knowing how much participants already give nor how much in need of help those who score higher on most of these scores are.

But that’s not surprising when you read the explanation:

What is an Intersectionality Score?
It’s an easy and effective way to measure the systematic oppression and discrimination faced by an individual due to their multiple identity factors. Having a high Intersectionality Score means being faced with more challenges to get ahead than someone who has a lower score.

How can they be used?
The scores has many practical uses. Primarily, it can be used to help those who are historically marginalized. In an office setting, you can easily identify those who may have unique, and most often overlooked or disregarded perspectives. You can give exclusive opportunties and promotions to people with high intersectionality scores so that they become more represented in positions of power. We also suggest every group meeting to begin with everyone sharing their intersectionality scores.

The most powerful use of Intersectionality is to identify oppressors and encourage them to share their privilege (and money) with the victims of their oppression. This would produce a more inclusive outcome and improve overall diversity. . . 

Intersectionality is a variation on identity politics and in this example is heavily laced by a very left wing agenda.

It’s best regarded as a diversion, not to be taken seriously.

Hat Tip: Tom Hunter

Worth the wait

It took three weeks from the declaration of the final vote count to the announcement of the coalition government.

This exercised some of the commentariat but it was worth the wait.

We’ve got the country’s first three party coalition and one with a very detailed agreement.

The commentariat are picking who did best and who bested whom.

I think all three  parties did well.

National, which got by far the most votes holds the most important portfolios. Act and NZ First got ones that suit them and all three got policies wins which show they have more in common than critics give them credit.

Those who voted for change have also won.

On election night, I said that we’d listened to the public and heard a description of a better New Zealand. New Zealanders want change that makes our lives easier. We want change that improves our opportunities. We want change that makes this great country even better. The Government is going to deliver that change and we are ready to get on with it.

We’ve got a government that is focussed on undoing the worst policies of the last six years, delivering policies that will address the omnishambles Labour has left behind and that will make the country, and people’s lives, better.

And we’ve got a Prime Minister in Christopher Luxon, who understands the responsibilities of government and is in parliament for the right reason :

“It is genuinely an awesome responsibility and so I think the ceremony is incredibly weighty that actually every minister understands the responsibility that they have.”

“As I said, it is a really special privilege to do public service, that’s why we genuinely leave what we’re doing and actually come to this place, to try and advance the lives of all Kiwis, and that’s what we’ve gotta do as a government.”

You can read the National – Act agreement here and the National NZ First one here.