‘Frustrating, disappointing’ – Call for better vaccine rollout in rural areas – Sally Murphy:
There are concerns the vaccine rollout is lagging in rural areas with some farmers having to do three-hour round trips to get the jab.
The Rural General Practice Network said it had been asking for data on rural vaccinations from the Ministry for Health for some time without a response.
Chief executive Dr Grant Davidson said the network believed the rates for rural communities, and rural Māori in particular, lagged the vaccination rates for the general population being reported by the government.
“We do know that there are small niche areas such as Rakiura/Stewart Island where entire communities have been vaccinated, but we believe this is hiding what is a major issue for a vulnerable population in New Zealand – the rural backbone of the country needing support. . .
Growers nervous of labour shortage despite imminent arrival of RSE workers – Tom Kitchin:
The arrival of seasonal workers from next week gives growers some certainty, but they fear the upcoming season will still be a big challenge.
The arrival of seasonal workers from next week gives growers some certainty, but they fear the upcoming season will still be a big challenge
Seasonal workers arriving from the Pacific Islands next week will be able to skip MIQ and go to work during their isolation period.
Vaccinated workers from Vanuatu can come in from next Monday, while those from Tonga and Samoa will need to wait until Tuesday, 12 October.
The workers will complete a self-isolation period of seven days and undertake day zero and day five tests, all while working at their work sites. . .
Groundswell protests no Bloody Friday – luckily – Jamie Mackay:
Imagine running 1500 animals through the main street of a city, then mobbing them up and cutting their throats in protest.
The year was 1978. I remember it well, as it was a watershed year in my life. I’d taken a gap year after secondary school to try my hand at senior rugby with the big boys.
Many parts of Southland had suffered a crippling drought in 1978. Combine that with a season of industrial mayhem at the four local “freezing” works, and you had a powder keg waiting to explode. The meat companies, farmers, unions and workers were literally at each other’s throats.
Lambs weren’t worth much and the old ewes, who had selflessly given the best five or six years of their lives to bear the aforementioned lambs, were worthless. They had reached their use-by-date. As the dry summer rolled into autumn and beyond, the old ewes were eating scarce winter feed needed for their younger and more productive counterparts in the flock. . .
Open trade climate change can work together – Macaulay Jones:
Supporting local businesses benefits the economy, but supporting local products is not always beneficial for the climate.
As the world and New Zealand continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and policies enacted to curb its spread, many consumers are making a conscious effort to support local businesses.
Local businesses directly and indirectly support local communities and are often owned and operated by active members of the community. However, while supporting local businesses is a great way of helping your neighbours financially recover from the pandemic, extending this principle to choosing to buy local products as a means of taking climate action may not offer the benefits for the atmosphere you’d expect. . .
OSPRI reduces TB slaughter levy rates for dairy and beef farmers :
OSPRI who manages the TBfree programme is to reduce the TB slaughter levy rates for cattle farmers from 1 October.
The Differential Slaughter Levy (DSL) is reviewed each year to ensure that industry funding aligns with that agreed under the 2016 TB Plan Funders’ Agreement, this is subject to a 15-year period.
The slaughter levies collected support funding of the TBfree programme on behalf of the beef and dairy industries. The revised levies are collected by meat processors.
The new differential slaughter levy rates are: . .
This silage contractor chartered a jet for $44,000 to get his workers home from New Zealand – Angus Verley:
What do you do when your key staff are stranded overseas and peak season is fast approaching?
COVID-19 has shut down international travel. For Sam Monk, one of the largest silage contractors in the country, that meant four of his machinery operators were stuck in New Zealand.
With just a fortnight before those workers were required in Australia for corn planting, Mr Monk went to the extraordinary length of chartering a plane to pick up his workers.
Mr Monk said the charter plane landed in Sydney on Friday. His employees are completing two weeks of quarantine before getting to work. . .