Agriculture Minister is missing in (in)action while climate change warriors harry NZ’s dairy industry – Point of Order:
The world stands on the brink of a food crisis worse than any seen in the last 50 years, the UN has warned as it urged governments to act swiftly to avoid disaster.
So what is the Ardern government doing about it? Shouldn’t it be working to ramp up food production? After all, NZ prides itself on being among the world’s leaders in producing high-quality food.
Instead, Climate Change Minister James Shaw is celebrating being “ ambitious” in tackling what he calls the climate crisis with, he says, . .
Carbon farming ‘a waste of land’ driving rural residents away – farmers – Lisette Reymer:
There are warnings that New Zealand’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2050 is destroying rural communities.
Productive sheep and beef east coast farmland is being blanketed in pine trees that may never be harvested in a mission called ‘carbon farming’, where trees are grown for carbon credits, not for sale.
The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) makes carbon farming a financial windfall for landowners – often making it more lucrative than farming stock or milling the trees for export.
And east coasters fear an impending forestry boom will turn more of its communities into ghost towns. . .
Rural women missing out on vital pregnancy ultrasounds – Conor Whitten:
Maternity care is supposed to be free and available to every woman – but that isn’t the case.
Senior doctors have told Newshub Nation that funding for maternity care is broken and pregnant women are missing out on ultrasound scans – and Health Minister David Clark has known about it for at least two years.
Lack of access to healthcare for pregnant women can see them miss out on crucial scans, including some that should be offered to every pregnant woman. Going without can have tragic consequences, as Kaitaia midwife Shelley Tweedie told Newshub Nation.
“The worst outcome you could look at is having a foetal demise, a baby dying. That would be the worst outcome that could happen from a lack of access to ultrasound services. It is absolutely devastating. Nobody would want to go through that.” . .
Action, not old news, needed now – Neal Wallace:
There is plenty the Rural General Practice Network likes about the just released review of health services.
Now it wants to see action to address the issues.
The Health and Disability System Review said the inequitable access by rural communities to health care is unacceptable, Network chief executive Grant Davidson said.
Rural health in New Zealand is at breaking point. . .
Art raising money and awareness – Colin Williscroft:
Taranaki artist Paul Rangiwahia wrote and produced Top Six Inches in a collaboration with Taranaki Rural Support Trust chairman and national council member Mike Green.
Green says art is a great way to break down the stigma of mental health while helping people talk about what they are experiencing and feeling.
“Two things which make depression much more likely are having long-term sources of stress and an insecure future,” he says. . .
Working in cheese a world-first for TIA student :
In a world first, a PhD student at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture is developing predictive tools to influence food safety management decisions for the soft cheese, paneer.
Paneer is a fresh, unaged, soft cheese that is particularly popular in South Asia, but is made and sold around the world.
In Australia, there are currently eight major brands producing paneer, across NSW, Victoria and northern Tasmania.
Not a lot is known about how pathogens behave in paneer and this information is important for refining food safety regulations. . .
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