It’s been a great year for the dairy industry – now let’s see what it has done for Fonterra’s books – Point of Order:
Despite the turmoil inflicted on global markets, NZ’s dairy industry turned in a phenomenal performance for the 2019-20 season, with export earnings $709m ahead of the previous year.
And though the global market is finely balanced at present, the prospect is that the industry could again be ahead of the pack in the current season.
Dairy farmers deserve the plaudits of the rest of the country, even though the present government has gone out of its way to clobber the industry with tough freshwater regulations designed to satisfy “dirty dairying” critics, despite the most polluted water often being found in city and town waterways and harbours. . .
Horticultural industry pushes for extended visas for workers –
The horticultural sector is calling for its guest workers to be next in line to have their visa restrictions eased.
Visitors and temporary migrants trapped in this country by the restrictions on travel will now have their visas extended to give them more time to organise flights home.
But Horticulture NZ chief executive Mike Chapman said these changes did little to help people working in the horticultural and wine sectors.
He said the sector was coming up to a busy time. . .
The immigration breakthrough that wasn’t– Dileepa Fonseka :
Lobby groups thought they’d succeeded in their mission to let skilled workers who had been stranded overseas get back into the country – but they were wrong
A press release from primary industry lobby groups had to be retracted on Friday after an announcement they had expected on a way for overseas temporary migrants to return to New Zealand never materialised.
DairyNZ and Federated Farmers released – then retracted – a press statement welcoming back the temporary workers ‘locked out’ of the country, after the Government instead announced a visa extension for people here on visitor visas. . .
Plea to lock up dogs at night after lambs killed – Gus Patterson:
Maheno farmer Doug Brown is urging people to lock up their dogs at night after 12 of his lambs were killed earlier this week.
The attacks on the nights of August 30 and 31 caused fatal injuries to several lambs, as well as mis-mothering and scattering the recently-born stock.
Some lambs were found three paddocks away from their mothers.
“It’s annoying. You work long hours at lambing time and could do without this,” Mr Brown said. . .
Working off-farm best for rural mum – Alice Scott:
Waitahuna’s Bridget Tweed still cringes when she recalls her first job interview after what had been four years as a stay-at-home mum with pre-schooler twins, a toddler and a baby.
“I stumbled my way through the entire interview. I just wasn’t used to talking to adults anymore. The whole interview was just terrible.”
She got home and after some thought decided to call the manager.
“I said I felt the interview hadn’t gone too great and I hadn’t given a true reflection of myself. The manager actually agreed it wasn’t the greatest interview, but I rattled off a few things and I must’ve said the right thing because I got the job,” she said laughing. . .
Bargains in the bin may bring buyers out – Bruce McLeish,:
As anticipated, the wool market struggled again last week and prices dropped by 37 cents a kilogram – or 5.5 per cent – in US Dollar terms.
A weaker US Dollar continued to make life difficult for growers and exporters as the Australian Dollar briefly cracked the US0.74 cents level during the week.
Understandably, 20 per cent of the offering was passed in – with many growers unwilling to accept these prices. . .