Farms can reduce numbers but how much do you want to pay for food? – Jacqueline Rowarth:
It used to be a refrain at the family dining table: “Why don’t farmers just…” followed by topical words such as “stop using glyphosate, insecticides, fertilisers?” or, more recently, “…reduce animal numbers”. The topic depended upon what had featured in the news, but my response, whatever the actual question, was generally along the lines of “they can – how much would you like to pay for food?”
The timing, as the family tucked into the delicious offerings of farmers and growers, prepared by members of the family, was impeccable as the food purchasers remembered the size of the bill at checkout.
What generally isn’t remembered is that the food bill is now a smaller component of discretionary income than it was thirty years ago. Food prices have increased more slowly than incomes because of ever more efficient production to do with technological advances.
The dinner table questions were and are important. Scientists challenge the status quo and try to identify what knowledge is needed to make improvements. . .
Water battle won but ‘sour taste’ remains – Sally Rae:
“A hollow victory.”
You might think Tarras farmers would be whooping with joy that years of legal wrangling over the Lindis River could finally be over.
Instead, Alastair Rutherford feels it is a “hollow victory” after a High Court decision to dismiss Otago Fish and Game’s appeal against a 2019 Environment Court decision to set the minimum flow at 550 litres per second and a primary allocation of 1640l/s.
“We still can’t get excited about it. For all the effort and time and energy, it’s still got a sour taste,” Mr Rutherford, a fourth-generation farmer, said. . .
King Country shearers set new world record:
Five King Country shearers have set a record with 3740 lambs shorn in nine hours.
The crew from Te Kuiti-based Fagan Shearing, aged between 18 and 35, began the effort at Te Pa Station at 5am on Wednesday.
Delwyn Jones, Llion Jones, Jack Fagan, Reuben Alabaster and Kelly Brill all beat their previous best, with their achievements establishing a nine-hour five-stands world strongwool lambshearing record.
The highlight of the day was Jack Fagan’s total of 811 lambs. . .
TracMap founder cheers Ag rite help OmniEye board –
TracMap founder Colin Brown has been appointed chairman of the board of Dunedin-based agritech company OmniEye.
OmniEye was spun off from Greg Peyroux and Benoit Auvray’s established company Iris Data Science. The non-intrusive camera-based scoring and monitoring system provided farmers with an “intelligent eye” over livestock, allowing for better decision-making for the welfare of their herd.
Mr Brown grew TracMap to become one of the country’s largest agricultural GPS businesses before taking the technology offshore, selling its Ag Aviation GPS system worldwide, and the ground-based job management system into the viticulture and orcharding sectors in Australia and North America.
Since retiring from TracMap, Mr Brown has become a part-time independent director and is currently a board trustee on the Malcam Charitable Trust and also chairman of Vibation Action Ltd, another Dunedin-based tech startup. . .
Mackenzie students’ frost mat invention for water troughs bags award – Shourabh Vittalmurthy,:
A trio of Mackenzie College students have scooped an award for their invention which prevents water troughs freezing over in the winter.
Year 11 and 12 students, Amy Hay, 16, Hamish Ryall, 16, and Luke Jordan, 15, won the Te Arahanga Primary Industries National Excellence Award at the Young Enterprise Scheme National Pitches and Awards ceremony on Wednesday.
Their Flexi-Mat FrostEase invention is an outdoor grade PVC canvas and plastic mat welded together to create a layer of insulation to prevent troughs freezing over in winter.
The award, which is given in recognition to the YES company with the best business product relating to food or fibre, also came with $1000 prize money. . .
Feds launches audio media platform for farming conversations :
Federated Farmers has launched an audio-based mobile communications platform, FEDSvoice, to deliver quality information to farmers and moderate safe conversations celebrating rural life and discussing the significant challenges that lie ahead.
A challenge that is top of most farmers’ minds is He Waka Eke Noa – the primary industries’ response to climate change and an agricultural emissions pricing mechanism. Feds National President Andrew Hoggard says it was the logical first discussion for FEDSvoice given the consultation date is closing in February.
“He Waka Eke Noa potentially has extremely serious consequences for rural families. We have made podcasts , hosted webinars, and we are also taking part in a roadshow in February with DairyNZ and Beef+Lamb NZ, because we simply must help farmers to understand and engage in the consultation process.
“FEDSvoice complements all of these and will keep conversation flowing and ensure we are accurately representing farmers.” . .
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