Regenerative agriculture – context is everything – Dr Jacqueline Rowarth:
Jacqueline Rowarth discusses the pros and cons of regenerative agriculture and finds that, in this case, one size does not fit all.
Regenerative agriculture is being promoted as the saviour for New Zealand.
The suggestion that it can produce the food that is needed without creating environmental impacts is perfect.
Add an income, and it is the goal for most farmers, whatever the label of their production system. . .
Who’s the last rural knight standing? – Craig Wiggins:
With the loss of our two elder statesman, Sir Brian Lochore and Sir Colin Meads, who had a direct connection to the land and were seen as legends by rural and urban people have left a big hole as far as rural ambassadors, leaders, mentors and boys’ own heroes.
This leads me to ask who is left as rural sirs and dames.
The only one who springs to mind who has made the world take notice in his sporting and professional life is Sir David Fagan.
He is recognised for his achievements in shearing and his support of many things rural. A true knight or sir. However, is Sir David to be our last knight standing?
Rural New Zealand is in desperate need of mentors and outstanding people recognised for their abilities and human spirit to be showcased in our schools and inspire our youth, someone to rub shoulders with in life be it in a pub or walking down a street, in media commenting and carrying the mana earned across all facets of NZ culture. . .
Fonterra factory built to make ‘secret recipe’ mozzarella sitting all but idle – Maria Slade:
As disappointed farmers deal with Fonterra’s poor performance it emerges a new multi-million dollar cheese plant is hardly being used. Business editor Maria Slade reports.
Fonterra once called it “the single largest foodservice investment in New Zealand’s dairy industry”.
Now its $240 million mozzarella cheese plant at Clandeboye near Temuka is sitting close to idle thanks to lack of demand.
The Clandeboye dairy factory’s third line making Fonterra’s “secret recipe” mozzarella was opened to much fanfare a year ago, with the co-operative claiming it was able to produce enough of the cheese to top half a billion pizzas a year. . .
18-year-old Austin Singh Purewal wins 2019 Young Vegetable Grower of the Year:
The youngest finalist of this year’s Young Grower of the Year competition, Austin Singh Purewal, beat the field to win this year’s Young Vegetable Grower of the Year.
At only 18, Austin has managed to achieve a lot in his horticulture career already. After winning the Pukekohe regional competition, Austin was looking forward to taking part in the finals.
“It’s almost like another job, to be honest,” says Austin. “It takes up a lot of your time if you are really dedicated to it.
“If you put a lot of effort in, you get lots out of it. From meeting new people to opening up my mind to opportunities within the industry, that’s what I wanted to get out of the competition. I didn’t necessarily want to win. I wanted to come out of it with more opportunities.” . .
LIC ascending into cloud for technology – Pam Tipa:
Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) is undergoing a digital transformation in the cloud, says chief executive Wayne McNee.
It is developing products and services for customers on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform.
The tailored cloud strategy will markedly shorten the time it takes to analyse the range of data from different sources across a farm. It will provide real time insights via its Minda application to help guide farmers’ decision making. . .
Kenya set to rescind GMO ban -John Njiraini:
Genetically modified organism (GMO) crops and products soon will be allowed in Kenya, where a ban on the technology has been in place since 2012.
In a development that has ignited optimism among companies and organizations that front for the adoption of GM crops, Kenya has revealed intentions to lift the ban to allow the country to accrue the benefits of the technology.
While Kenya has made significant progress on GMOs in terms of enacting watertight regulations and controlled research on crops such as Bt maize, Bt cotton, cassava, sorghum, and sweet potato, the ban has meant the country cannot progress to the commercialization stage. . .