Dylan George Manthey, 30, was sentenced in the Palmerston North District Court today on three charges of ill-treatment of sheep under the Animal Welfare Act, following a prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

He pleaded guilty to all charges. The end sentence also took into account two driving offences he had been charged with by Police.

How the Investigation Began

The case stems from a nationwide investigation MPI launched in December 2024, after animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) provided the ministry with 560 hours of video footage showing sheep being abused by shearers.

MPI Director of Investigations and Compliance Support Gary Orr says today's sentencing is the first outcome of that investigation.

"We spent thousands of hours studying video footage of shearing operations and Mr Manthey was identified in footage deliberately abusing lambs on three occasions. This is unacceptable and falls well short of our expectations."

What the Footage Showed

Footage captured at shearing sheds in South Canterbury showed Manthey lift a lamb to shoulder height and throw the animal headfirst onto the hard wooden shearing platform.

On the same day, he was also captured grabbing another lamb by both front legs, swinging the animal and throwing it over a pen wall more than a metre high.

"A veterinarian who viewed the video footage says the abuse would have caused unnecessary pain and distress to these lambs," Orr says.

On a separate day, at different shearing sheds, Manthey was captured on video grabbing a lamb by its back and neck and throwing it forcefully at the wooden doors of a pen — an act Orr says would have caused similar pain and distress.

MPI Response

Orr says the majority of shearers do not resort to abusing animals, even when the work is physically demanding.

"We know the vast majority of shearers don't resort to abusing an animal when the work is challenging. When we find evidence of deliberate abuse, we take action."

Three other shearers identified through the investigation remain before the court, facing charges under the Animal Welfare Act.

Reporting Animal Welfare Concerns

MPI says animal welfare is everyone's responsibility and is encouraging members of the public who are aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty to report it to the MPI animal welfare complaints freephone, 0800 008 333.

Over the past 12 months, the organisation delivered 1,277,241 mince and milk meals through a nationwide network of foodbanks, pushing the total number of meals distributed since its 2020 launch past 4.2 million.

The milestone lands at a critical moment. Recent figures show one in three New Zealand households experienced food insecurity in the past year, and 68% of those households say they only began struggling to afford enough food within the last 12 months.

A Shifting Face of Need

Zellara Holden, general manager of Meet the Need, says the charity is seeing a marked shift in who is turning up to foodbanks for help.

"These aren't just the families people might traditionally expect to need food support," Holden says. "They're working families, rural households and people who have never had to ask for help before."

Holden says the cost of living is the driving force behind this change.

"The cost of living continues to put enormous pressure, on household budgets, and nutritious protein is often one of the first things families stop buying. That's why the work we do has never been more important."

Connecting Farmers with Families

Meet the Need was founded with the aim to connect New Zealand food producers directly with families experiencing hardship.

The charity works alongside farmers, processors, transport companies, foodbanks, businesses and donors to get beef mince and milk to those who need it most.

Key results from the 2025/26 year

• 1,277,241 mince and milk meals delivered
• 148 foodbanks supported nationwide, up from 135 the previous year
• Over 4.2 million meals delivered since the charity launched in 2020

Demand Still Outpacing Supply

Despite the record year, Meet the Need says growth in impact hasn't kept pace with growth in need.

Foodbanks across the country report more first-time users, longer waitlists, and rising demand specifically for protein.

"The reality is that while we've increased our impact, the need has grown even faster," Holden says.

"Every meal delivered is only possible because of the generosity of New Zealand farmers, our corporate and community partners, volunteers and individual donors," she says. "This report is a celebration of what we've achieved together, but it's also a reminder that our work is far from over."

'The Challenge Isn't Supply, It's Connection'

Meet the Need chair Nick Fisher says the solution lies in collaboration across the agricultural sector.

"New Zealand grows enough food to feed everyone," Fisher says. "The challenge isn't supply, it's connection."

"Meet the Need exists to bridge that gap, ensuring quality New Zealand protein reaches families who otherwise couldn't afford it."

How to Help

Meet the Need is calling on more farmers, businesses and everyday New Zealanders to get involved - whether by donating livestock, milk or cash, or by partnering with the charity directly.

"Our mission is simple," Holden says. "Together, we can ensure more Kiwi families have access to nutritious protein during some of the hardest times in their lives."

"With demand continuing to grow, we need more people alongside us to make that happen," she concludes.

B+LNZ has been monitoring whole-farm sales for afforestation for several years.

Kate Acland, B+LNZ chair, says the latest figures bring the total area of whole sheep and beef farms sold for forestry since 1 January 2017 to almost 330,000 hectares - equivalent to 3,300 square kilometres, or roughly six times the size of urban Auckland.

Another 30,000 Hectares Gone to Trees

New analysis by Orme & Associates found an additional 30,000 hectares of whole sheep and beef farms have been confirmed as sold for forestry since B+LNZ's previous research was released last year.

Revised confirmed sales for 2024 added 11,482 hectares, bringing the revised 2024 total to 41,966 hectares.

A further 15,743 hectares were sold in 2025, a figure expected to rise as additional sales are confirmed through the Overseas Investment Office.

"While we are pleased that total sales have slowed from the height of conversions to forestry in 2021 and 2022, when almost 64,000 hectares were sold each year, we remain concerned that too much is still going to occur," Acland says.

On Track to Lose a Million Hectares by 2050

According to the report, 27,000 hectares of sheep and beef land could still be converted to forestry each year under the restrictions introduced on whole farms entering the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

Before 2018, when it was signalled that the cap on the carbon price would be lifted, average annual conversion was 7,000 hectares or less.

"27,000 hectares a year, combined with how much has already happened, would see New Zealand lose a million hectares of productive pastoral land by 2050, which is unsustainable for our sector, our rural communities and the country," Acland says.

She says restrictions introduced in 2025 are welcome but did not go far enough.

"We are concerned they do not go far enough and we will be keeping a close eye on ongoing levels of afforestation."

"Not Anti-Forestry" - But Right Tree, Right Place

Acland says B+LNZ is not opposed to forestry and supports the integration of trees within farms.

"Forestry presents an important and well-established diversification opportunity for farmers," she says. "Farmers know their land and can plant the right trees in the right places, without affecting overall levels of production."

Jobs Every Year vs a Payday Once a Generation

The research builds on earlier analysis by BERL, which found that sheep and beef farms generate employment and export revenue continuously each year, while forestry mainly generates employment and export revenue at harvest - typically 25 to 30 years after planting.

In 2025, New Zealand's red meat sector generated $17.5 billion, or 4% of GDP, and supported 120,580 jobs, equivalent to 5% total employment in New Zealand.

B+LNZ says converting productive farms to forestry makes it harder for rural communities to retain people and skills, which in turn reduces local spending, school rolls, rural services and future food-producing capacity.

The organisation estimates more than two million stock units have been lost to afforestation since 2017.

A little over six months ago, the company launched a partnership with PR Claims, a specialist provider that manages fuel excise duty refund claims, and says its customers have now recovered more than $500,000 in fuel refunds through their system.

Refunds Going Unclaimed Due To Complexity

Farm Focus CEO Marie-Claire Andrews said that for many farmers, refunds of excise duty on petrol used for on-farm off-road use went unclaimed simply because the process felt too complex to pursue.

And at the current rate of 78 cents a litre, it stacks up. Farmers used a lot of petrol-powered vehicles across their paddocks, she said.

"Even just in some of the smaller machinery, if you think about it, if you haven't claimed for everything you've done in terms of maintenance, chainsaws, all sorts of things, for a couple of years, there's thousands of litres probably, so it's worth getting the money back."

Canterbury Farmer Recovers $12,000 In One Year

The Masterton-based company provides financial management software for farmers and rural businesses and has customers throughout New Zealand and in Australia.

It says one of their clients, Canterbury dairy, beef and cropping farmer Mike Smith, recovered around $12,000 from a single year's petrol use through the PR Claims partnership.

"It's all set up digitally and it's easy to use. For farmers, we don't want something to be a hassle," said Smith.

"I don't have time to struggle with things, otherwise I just won't do it. We ended up with around $12,000 back, just from one year's worth of fuel. We all pay a lot of tax in the farming industry, especially in dairy, so it's nice to get something back."

Reducing the Administrative Burden

Andrews said the partnership reduced the administrative burden on busy farming businesses.

She said PR Claims managed the claim process end to end, and refund statements could be imported directly into Farm Focus, keeping records tidy without extra paperwork.

She said the half-million dollar milestone reflected how much eligible money goes unclaimed each year.

"Farmers are under constant pressure to manage costs, and this partnership is helping put real money back into rural businesses. The fact that customers have already recovered more than half a million dollars in refunds shows the scale of the opportunity."

Why the Claims Process Gets Overlooked

PR Claims head of partnerships, Kevin Breen, believed that about 80% of farmers - or "more than would admit to it" - were not bothering to claim refunds of excise duty because it was a bureaucratic process.

"Nine times out of ten, the reason why people haven't claimed their excise duty refund is because they put it in the too hard basket."

He explained that while most other taxes are administered by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), the fuel excise duty is administered by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

"Not all, but most accountants don't normally deal with it because it's dealing with a different entity other than the IRD."

Integration and Pricing Through the Partnership

Breen said PR Claims also partners with other organisations, but went "one step further" with Farm Focus.

"If the clients give us access, then we can integrate and automate some systems which makes the process even smoother.

"Our normal rate is 15% and but because we partnered with Farm Focus, their customers get an additional two and a half percent off that rate, which makes us by far the cheapest company in New Zealand."

Upton says New Zealand has good environmental information but the problem is that the system used to collect, manage and share it lacks coordination, leadership and long-term stewardship.

Report Points to Reform Opportunity

A report released last week by Upton noted that New Zealand is undertaking major reforms across resource management, science, water services, local government and environmental reporting.

This presents a rare opportunity to place environmental information at the centre of environmental management.

The report - Unlocking New Zealand's Environmental Information - finds that while vast amounts of environmental data are collected across government, councils, research organisations, iwi, industry and community groups, much of it remains difficult to find, access and use.

The report argues that high-quality environmental information is fundamental to good decision-making, effective environmental management, public accountability and investment decisions.

"Whether we're managing water, planning infrastructure, responding to climate risks or protecting biodiversity, good decisions depend on good information," says Upton.

"The problem is not that we lack environmental information - the problem is that the system used to collect, manage and share it lacks coordination, leadership and long-term stewardship."

Fragmentation and Inconsistent Standards Identified

The report identifies fundamental weaknesses in New Zealand's current environmental information system, including fragmentation, duplication, data gaps, inconsistent standards, and barriers to accessing and reusing information.

Rapid advances in technologies, such as remote sensing, automated sensors, environmental DNA (eDNA) and artificial intelligence as well as digital infrastructure and communications technologies, present a significant opportunity to improve how environment information is collected and used.

"Innovative technologies can help us better understand what is happening in our environment, often more quickly, comprehensively and cost-effectively than before.

"But technology alone will not solve the problem. To realise these benefits, we need stronger leadership, common data standards and a system designed to make information accessible and useful."

Budget 2026 Investment A "Positive First Step"

The report notes that recent investments in environmental data and digital infrastructure through Budget 2026 are a positive first step but says broader system-wide reform is required.

"If we can afford to fast-track ports, mines and motorways, we can afford to fast-track the upgrading of our environmental management system.

"Better information will not make difficult decisions for us. But without it, we are making those decisions in the dark."

A bull has taken up residence outside the business in a town where streets are dotted with cows made from fibreglass.

Morrinsville Auto Super Shoppe owner Allan Clark is celebrating thirty years of business in Morrinsville.

His son Jacob, who now works in the business, constructed the bull from sheet metal, cutting the shapes, then bending and welding to create the form.

After 200 names, the unnamed sculpture, which Rural News has named 'Incredibull', has a stance not unlike the bronze Bull of Wall Street.

Finishing with metallic bronze paint shows a multitude of colours in different light, giving life and attitude to the Bull of Super Shoppe Morrinsville for another thirty years.

The bull proudly joins a collection of life-size cow sculptures throughout the town showcasing the dairy history and heritage of Morrinsville.

Next time you're in Morrinsville, don't miss the Incredibull display!

He says NZ cannot just rely on international freight delivering canned food from other countries to us and says the importance of our vegetable sector cannot be overestimated.

His comments come as concerns grow about highly productive land going into housing and vegetable processing plants facing closure, as well as trees replacing sheep on our hill country.

Pressure on Productive Land

Malley told Rural News that it's costly to produce food in NZ and there is an ongoing need to increase crop yields by introducing new and better plant varieties to counter this.

Also, New Zealand needs to look at the distribution of value along the food chain to make sure growers remain financially sustainable.

Water and Māori Land Access in Northland

He says there are also other issues in Northland where his orchard is based.

"One of the issues is making sure we have enough water, and the other one is releasing some of the Māori land so that it can be more productive.

"To do that there needs to be an appropriate investment structure, because that land is currently not in a high production and to change that will require capital investment and require the development of new infrastructure," he says.

With Māori land, says Dermott, there is a need to understand that they will not sell their whenua and new economic structures need to be created so that new capital can be injected without that being linked to debt on their land.

Rural News is aware that this has already happened in Māoridom with iwi joining forces, especially in the kiwifruit sector, to create larger and profitable entitites.

In terms of blueberries, Malley says his company already has a high tech packhouse which is quite capable of handling all the expansion. He says they also see the potential for growing kiwiberries.

Accessing New Varieties

Malley says if NZ is to increase its horticultural exports it must have the same access to new plant varieties as our competitors.

He says he fully accepts the need for a quality biosecurity regime and the need to manage risk and not bring anything into NZ that would destroy the hort sector.

He says this is also linked to an expectation of our customers that we are moving to a softer approach to deal with managing diseases. In the past, much greater use has been made of 'hard' chemicals.

Malley says this means that if we bring in overseas material, we need to be sure that it will fit within our system of managing diseases and pests.

"We need to look at perhaps shifting our focus as a country to getting a guarantee those pests are better managed offshore, rather than just presuming that they are. That means we need to insist that those people overseas show us that they have done the right thing, in terms of what we do, like monitoring our crops every week," he says.

For a career where she has built a reputation as a trusted advisor and mentor, Ewers picked up the New Zealand Apples & Pears (NZAPI) Outstanding Contribution Award in Queenstown last month.

Ewers was one of the 260 people at the NZAPI dinner, unaware that she was picking up the prestigious award.

"Humbled and Overwhelmed"

Horticulture consultant Andrew Kinninmonth, who was sitting next to Ewers, had the task of introducing the awardee.

"It was very unsuspecting and it wasn't until Andrew repeated something I just told him 10 minutes ago and the colour rose," she told Rural News.

"I'm humbled and overwhelmed: I give out awards, but I'm not great in accepting awards."

From Customs Ambitions to a Compliance Career

Ewers had always eyed the job of a customs officer. After working in orchards and packhouses in the South Island, she got a break.

With too many packhouses, MAF decided to handover fruit inspection to the Apple and Pear Marketing Board.

Ewers was offered to join the board's inspection team.

"They presented me with a four-car garage sitting on stilts with a hole cut in each end, and I walked inside and there was nothing there.

"And, they said this is your inspection depot: you set it up and run it, and that's how it started.

"So, my customs offer plan didn't originate, but my compliance did and I still do compliance today."

A Career Built on Mentoring

Ewers is the compliance and logistics manager at Hoddy's Fruit Company in Nelson.

She also helps New Zealand Apples and Pears and exporters especially around training young staff.

NZAPI board chair Andrew Gibbs said Ewers' contribution to the industry extended far beyond her formal roles.

"Mel is one of those rare people whose influence can be felt right across our industry. For decades she has quietly supported growers, businesses and industry initiatives, sharing her knowledge freely and helping others achieve high standards.

"She has never sought recognition or the spotlight, but her integrity, leadership and willingness to help others have earned her enormous respect and multiple nominations for this award. The New Zealand apple and pear industry is stronger because of Mel's contribution, and we are delighted to recognise her contribution."

He says that throughout her career, Ewers has built a reputation as a trusted advisor and mentor, generously sharing her knowledge without hesitation and helping others in the sector navigate increasingly complex industry requirements.

Colleagues describe her as practical, authentic, and deeply committed to helping others succeed.

This follows a shipping mix-up that saw the team's bespoke tractors and ploughs end up in Wellington two weeks ago, instead of landing in Europe.

Mark Dillon, Southland, and Malcolm Taylor, Waikato, have made the difficult decision to leave the equipment at home and rely on borrowed equipment.

Careful Planning Undone by Delays

In the last issue of Rural News we reported on the frustrations of the NZ Ploughing team in trying to ship their bespoke tractors and ploughs to the World Ploughing event to be held in Osijek, Croatia in early September.

Dillon and Taylor are scheduled to represent NZ in the conventional and reversible classes respectively and, being old hands at the game, knew that getting their equipment to Croatia early would allow time for cleaning, inspection and local practice, before heading into the actual event.

Their forward planning, preparation and loading in early May meant an original arrival date of their container in Europe of July 18. Delayed departure had pushed this arrival date to July 24.

On 16 June, inquiries to shipping specialists Oceanbridge advised that the container was still in Wellington, who surprisingly stated that expected delivery was still around July 25.

On July 5, Dillon's wife Sonia used an app to track progress, to find that the boat was off the coast of Tasmania, then sought an updated ETA, to be told that the boat was actually en route back to Wellington, with a revised arrival in Europe of around August 24 - just 12 days before the event commenced.

Alternative Options Fell Short

Earlier in July, there was a heated discussion with Oceanbridge, who suggested reloading the container onto an alternative boat that should be able to get to Western Europe earlier, but added the complication of getting the container and its contents to Croatia by road.

Unfortunately, further discussions suggested that the revised solution would mean an expected arrival of 28th August, with any weather-related or political delays meaning the risk of the date pushing out further.

This has resulted in the duo making the difficult decision to leave the equipment at home and rely on borrowed equipment.

"There Was Never Any Suggesting Of Not Going"

Sonia Dillon says there were just too many variables to ensure that the container would arrive on time.

"The boys decided to head up to Croatia and take up the offer of loan tractors and ploughs from friends and acquaintances from the World Ploughing community.

"It won't be the same as using their own gear, but I'm sure they will give it their best try. There was never any suggesting of not going, as we have already committed a lot of money to travel and accommodation costs, so we'll enjoy the event for what it is."

Refund Hopes, But No Explanation Yet

Meanwhile, Oceanbridge has suggested that they are hopeful of getting a refund from the global shipping company MSC. 

Sonia Dillon remains sceptical about the suggestion, noting at this stage there has been no apology or explanation about how the massive faux pas occurred.

Rural News suggests that Oceanbridge and MSC should get their heads together and commit to getting the duo's container to the 2027 World Ploughing Event to be held in Kenya - on time and at no cost!

He was attending the mega Bharat Textile Expo in New Delhi, which has 3500 stands and attracts more than a million visitors over four days, supporting a NZ delegation to promote our quality coarse wool.

India is the second largest importer of our wool - last year it took 17,000 tonnes worth more than $79 million. China is the largest importer of our wool wool. 

Patterson says, since the Wool Board disbanded many years ago, little engagement there's been with India has been mainly broker-driven and transactional. He says when a NZ wool delegation attended the Bharat Textile Expo last year, they were pleasantly surprised.

"It turns out NZ wool is held in very high regard and there is a real interest in what we are doing in terms of our accreditation systems and the ethical way that we farm our sheep. This is because India manufactures wool carpets for the very high-end markets in the USA and Europe and want the highest quality wool for their products," he says.

A feature of their manufacturing process is that it is primarily hand-knotted by some 30,000 specialist craftspeople. This, he says, is in contrast to China where the manufacturing process is highly industrialised and mechanised.

He says the positive thing for NZ is that Prime Minister Modi is personally leading and promoting a programme that would see the country tripling the size of its textile industry by the end of the decade. This is called the five F strategy - farm, fibre, factory, fashion, and foreign exchange.

"That's the driver and I am absolutely confident that there are real opportunities for our farmers to sell more very high-quality wool to India," he says.

Patterson says a few months ago a delegation from all the major wool manufacturers in India came down to NZ and were blown away by our farming systems, and the way we handle wool in the shed and scour the product.

"A lot of these companies are family-owned, multigenerational businesses and they have got a real affinity with fibre in the same way our multigenerational farmers do. There is a sort of combined respect for the fibre and a meeting of minds in many ways and they are keen to partner with us more," he says.

Patterson says another visit to NZ by Indian wool manufacturers is planned to take place soon.

High-Level Meetings

Patterson says during his visit, which was just after Prime Minister Modi visit to our country, NZ was in the spotlight in India.

He says there is no doubt that this helped get access to some of that country's top politicians and businesspeople. This included having a special bilateral roundtable session, co-chaired by him and his Indian counterpart, Minister of State for Textiles, Pabitra Margherita.

Patterson says he also had the opportunity to meet with the Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh, carpet manufacturer Obeetee, the International Wool Textile Organisation, the Wool Research Association, and others, to discuss ways that we can work better together.

"One of the highlights was to see the NZ woolen carpet in their Parliament debating chamber and to meet the Speaker of Parliament, Om Birla, the third highest ranked politician who gave the backstory of the significance of this carpet," he says.

Asparagopsis Technologies Limited (ASTEC) is supplying research-grade asparagopsis armata for animal methane mitigation studies, ensuring continued access to one of the world's largest land-based cultivation facilities dedicated to this emerging field of research.

Following CH4 Global's decision to focus on its Australian operations, former leaders from the business partnered with Ocean Beach Aquaculture Park to retain the specialised infrastructure and cultivation expertise developed in Bluff.

The new company will supply high-quality asparagopsis biomass to research institutions undertaking controlled and commercial-scale methane reduction trials internationally.

ASTEC executive director Nigel Little says the company supplies asparagopsis biomass to Australia, USA, Japan and Europe - especially Scandinavia, Netherlands and Ireland for research.

"These are the countries where a number of universities and research institutes have already been studying asparagopsis and where we believe there is demand for larger scale follow-on trials," Little told Rural News.

Asaparagopsis-based feed additives are being offered for sale in Australia and Europe today where they are already approved for sale as a natural feed supplement.

CH4 Global is the leading commercial supplier with their Methane Tamer product, which is formulated with 100% asparagopsis.

However, in New Zealand, all methane inhibitors regardless of type - from natural plants being used as herbal medicines like asparagopsis - through to synthetic chemicals, like novel ingredients, have been arbitrarily classified as Vet Medicines under the NZ legislation.

Little says only one product (using a synthetic chemical) has been submitted for approval to date, and no products have yet been approved.

He believes asparagopsis would be an excellent solution as a natural, safe and affordable inhibitor for high value dairy applications in New Zealand, such as organics, A2 and infant formula. It could be easily added - less than 50 grams per milking - to existing feed supplements given while milking.

“But a lot more investment will be required to prove the exact benefits of asparagopsis in NZ’s farming systems and to collect the data necessary to make a Vet Medicine application, and there doesn’t seem to be any interest in the research sector in NZ to do this work.”

Interest in asparagopsis continues to grow as research demonstrates its potential to significantly reduce enteric methane emissions in ruminants.

However, access to consistent, research-grade material has remained a constraint for many institutions, with much of the global supply directed into proprietary commercial programmes. ASTEC has been established to address this gap by providing researchers with reliable access to high-quality cultivated biomass for independent trials across diverse production systems, cattle breeds and feeding regimes.

The Ocean Beach Aquaculture Park is among the world’s largest land-based asparagopsis cultivation facilities, with existing production capacity of approximately 20,000 daily doses per month and significant scope for future expansion as international research demand grows. The facility leverages naturally cold Southern Ocean water and purpose-built bioreactor infrastructure, drawing on cultivation expertise developed over several years.

FutureFeed holds and licenses global IP for the use of asparagopsis seaweed as a livestock feed ingredient, shown to lower ruminant methane emissions by 80% or more.

FutureFeed chief executive Alex Baker says methane from cattle and sheep dominates New Zealand’s carbon footprint.

“The rising sustainability expectations and competition in global export markets mean this has to change. Accelerating seaweed supply is critical to bring about change, and we are excited to see Asparagopsis Technologies’ actions towards that goal.”

The scheme allows orchardists and growers to bring workers from the Pacific Islands to work on their properties for a limited period each year.

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford announced this at the HortNZ conference last week, saying that over the 20 years the scheme has been running, it has become more complicated and burdensome than it needs to be.

She says the changes that will be implemented over the next two years will provide greater clarity and flexibility to both employers and workers. It will also strengthen protection for workers.

"This move is in response to sector which for a long time has been calling for change," she says.

All told, 17,000 RSE workers come to NZ each year working for more than 200 recognised employers.

In essence, the revamped RSE scheme will reward employers with good track records and put the heat on those who haven't lived up to the spirit of the scheme.

"Bad actors will face consequences," she says.

Stanford says the one-size-fits-all approach when employers are applying to recruit workers is no longer appropriate and, in this regard, established employers with a strong track record will be given special consideration and pathways.

Other key changes include introducing a fixed list of exactly what costs employers can pass on to workers - an area where there has been a lack of clarity, confusion, and angst in the past. The intention is that workers should be aware of this before they arrive in NZ.

There will also be a provision that allows workers the flexibility to do other tasks on a property outside the normal planting, maintaining, harvesting and packing of produce. Under this provision they may be able to, say, drive a forklift. Workers may also be able to work for another accredited RSE employer if work runs out on their property and is available elsewhere.

Stanford says accommodation standards are a major concern and remain a priority for both industry and Pacific partners.

"We need to get this right," she says.

Stanford says consultation on options for change is currently underway with Pacific partners and employers, and she expects to take decisions by the end of September.

"We are also supporting industry-led initiatives that promote best-practice pastoral care. Providing access to the internet will also be added to the prescribed standards, ensuring workers can stay connected with their families back home. There will also be new provisions for sick leave," she says.

Stanford says the changes recognise the important role the RSE scheme plays in assisting the NZ hort sector. The changes will be phased in over the next two years.

Orchardists Grateful For The Changes

HortNZ chief executive Kate Scott says her organisation is hugely grateful for the changes.

She says the decision to modernise the RSE scheme is a positive and practical step that will benefit growers, workers and Pacific communities.

"From our perspective the changes are sensible and will enable the scheme to operate more effectively and efficiently," she told Rural News.

"Little things like aligning sick leave right through to enabling RSE workers to also do some of those other tasks that sometime arise on the orchard like driving the forklift are important," she says.

Scott says the changes will reduce unnecessary compliance for trusted employers.

A graduated accreditation model, clearer expectations and a more transparent cap process will give growers greater certainty to plan, invest and grow. She says the changes will also put worker wellbeing at the centre of the scheme's future.

"HortNZ has consistently called for settings that are fair, future-proofed and sustainable for employers and workers. This reform reflects that approach," she says.

Colin Bond, the CEO of NZKGI, which represents kiwifruit growers, says his organisation is pleased with the announcement.

He says anything that simplifies something that has become a complex scheme will be well received by the industry and getting clarity around what costs can be passed onto workers and moves to improve accommodation for RSE workers is good news and beneficial to all parties.

"This is a fantastic scheme that's been running for twenty years. But over time we have been adding more things to it to make the scheme better, however, we seem to have inadvertently made it more complex," he says.

Bond says NZKGI appreciates the hard work that MBIE staff, the Pacific people and many others have put into creating the new reforms.

He says it is important that through the implementation stage everyone works together to achieve the desired outcomes.

New Zealand Farm Environment Trust (NZFET) general manager Sarah Harris says the campaign was inspired by conversations with previous entrants, which revealed a number of common myths about the awards.

"We know there are exceptional farmers and growers across New Zealand who would make fantastic entrants, but misconceptions about the awards often stop them from putting their names forward," says Harris.

"Attracting a strong field of entrants is essential. The integrity and reputation of the awards relies on recognising high-performing businesses that are willing to share their journey and inspire others."

One of the most common myths is that entrants must be Ballance Agri-Nutrients customers.

"While Ballance is our principal sponsor, the awards are owned and delivered by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust, an independent charitable trust supported by a wide range of industry partners. You certainly don't need to be a Ballance customer to enter," Harris says.

Another common excuse Harris said her regional committees hear is 'I'm not ready'.

"The reality is that very few people ever feel ready. The awards aren't about perfection - they're about the journey and peoples' willingness to keep improving."

The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Amendment Bill, also known as the HSNO Act, has fallen victim to a huge raft of other legislation that the Government wants passed ahead of the bill in the current parliamentary term.

The amendments to the HSNO Act are seen as a major priority by the primary sector, frustrated by red tape, long timeframes, complexity of the process, costs and overall uncertainty about when products are finally approved by the regulator, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The changes to the bill came out of a review by the new Ministry of Regulation which made sixteen recommendations to streamline the approval process. It's been before the Primary Production Select committee that has been hearing submissions on it.

One of the proposals in the amended bill would allow for a product that has been approved by a credible overseas regulator to be used in NZ until it gets final approval from the EPA.

The Minister for the Environment, Nicola Grigg, told Rural News that the Government has reached out to end users in the primary sector and is aware of their frustration about the present act and the blockages that it is causing. She says the new EPA board and chief executive are much more commercially driven and connected with farmers and growers.

Grigg says the intent of the changes is to give NZ farmers and growers easier access to products that are available overseas to control pests and invasive species, and for crop protection.

"We still must be risk averse in the sense that you can't unleash any old thing out into the environment. We must be acutely aware of our markets and end users and our own environmental limitations. But also, we also must be at the vanguard of innovation and being able to try and test and keep on innovating," she says.

The progress of the HSNO Bill was front and center of topics discussed at the recent Animal and Plant Health (APHANZ) conference in Wellington. Here, representatives from MPI, the EPA and the former MFE gave presentations and answered questions about the HSNO Bill as well as changes to the RMA and ACVM bills; the latter two are likely to be passed by Parliament this year.

The CEO of APHANZ, Dr Liz Shackleton, says a big concern for her members was the timeframes within the HSNO Act.

She says when you are in business, time is money and uncertainty costs.

She says while they would like to get the HSNO Bill through Parliament, she recognises the huge legislative backlog.

Shackleton says her members want to see new and novel products get approved faster.

A leading Gisborne businessman, Richard Burke, who once headed up a large vegetable growing operation in Tairawhiti, had to deal with the difficulties of getting product to market because of countless road closures. He says today the roads around Tairawhiti are in fact worse than they were fifty years ago.

Burke says the present settings for funding roads are based around use - in other words, the number of vehicles using them - rather than the opportunities they offer and particular needs of the primary sector.

"The consequence of the present settings is that regions like Tairawhiti, Northland, the West Coast and Taranaki miss out on the big funding because they don't have the high vehicle use," Burke told Rural News.

"The present settings don't make sense to me because high export earners such as the primary sector and tourism miss out," he says.

Burke says, aside of the settings the other problem with infrastructure is having a long-term plan and taking this out of the political arena. He says under the present system, infrastructure bounces around due to political influence - the Cook Strait ferries issue being case in point.

"If we had, say, a 100-year plan, that would make a huge difference. In that scenario, the politicians would still control the purse strings, but there would be... a long-term plan," he says.

According to Burke, "commercial settings" should be applied to infrastructure - roads, water, etc. He says knee-jerk reactions are common with what infrastructure is needed and how to deal with adverse weather events.

For example, he says that the pine trees in Tairawhiti are not necessarily in themselves the issue and legislating against them may not be the answer. Rather, better settings or rules could manage the problem and ensure that the environment is not damaged.

"We need to accurately measure potential environmental impacts and not second guess what these may be, because in some cases we overdo stuff in areas and underdo it others," he says.

Burke says in Gisborne there is talk about the need for better water infrastructure. He says this in itself won't attract investment to the region. He maintains that roading is still the big issue and roads need to be able to cope with bigger trucks. He points to what Northland has done to improve its roads and the benefits that have flowed from this.

"Look at Northland and you see how much quicker they will recover from an event than what we will do down here. Most of that is because the infrastructure that they have built up gives them the ability to bounce back.

"We keep asking for more money, but there is a question about whether we are spending it in ways that resolve the problems in the long term."

Finally, Burke says there is a big focus on increasing production to drive export returns, but there is a need to invest in both the market and in the infrastructure to match this.

The message coming back to members is blunt: not one party currently has a specific policy for growing organics in New Zealand.

Manifesto Presented Ahead of November Election

The delegation saw OANZ representatives present the Organic Election Manifesto and its five organic priorities directly to MPs and officials ahead of the November election.

The visit follows months of sector engagement building toward a clear ask of the next government: back organics with real investment and policy, not just goodwill.

OANZ board member Scott Lawson says the sector is pointing to an opportunity as opposed to asking for a handout.

"We're not asking for a favour, we're pointing to an opportunity this government is currently leaving on the table," Lawson says.

"Organic is growing at three times the rate of conventional primary exports, because consumers globally are demanding clean, ethical food," he says.

"This government wants to double exports, and organics is one of the clearest paths to get there. But growth like that doesn't happen without policy and investment behind it."

OANZ says the case for backing organics is a "genuine win-win", pointing to measurable gains in soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and climate resilience, alongside a fast-growing export category it says is aligned with where global demand is heading.

Seven Questions Put To Every Party

During the delegation, OANZ put seven direct questions to every party it met, covering:

• The continuation of a dedicated Associate Organic Minister
• The rollout of the National Organic Standard
• Investment in the sector's growth architecture
• Global market access and equivalency
• Protection of GE-free and organic certification status
• Support for organic transition and domestic procurement
• Whether the party has any policy for growing organics

Scorecard to Guide Voters

OANZ says responses to those questions will be published in an Organic Political Scorecard, using a colour-coded system to show voters where each party stands.

The organisation says the scorecard will be a key resource for New Zealand's organic sector, advocates and consumers as they weigh up their choice at the ballot box this November.

Brendan Hoare, OANZ advisor, says parties and ministers were left in no doubt about the sector's intent.

"Political parties and Ministers have been briefed that the organic sector is organised and means business," Hoare says.

"We are expecting the 2026 election will be an instrumental platform for change.

Food Security a Recurring Theme

Lawson says domestic food supply and security came up repeatedly in discussions with political parties.

"A common theme across all political parties we met with was the requirement for domestic food supply and security," he says.

"It's clear it's an election topic of the utmost importance, and one that requires commitment and development as part of the organic growth strategy."

OANZ is calling on all parties to use the time before the election to develop a clear, funded position on organics, and says it will continue pushing until they do.

The announcement marks a sharp turnaround from the $2 million loss recorded in FY25, as improving farmgate returns drove a rebound in fertiliser demand.

Revenue for the co-operative rose 20% year-on-year to $917.2 million, while total fertiliser sales volumes climbed 8% to more than 1 million tonnes, up from 962,000 tonnes the previous year.

Sheep and Beef Recovery Lifts Demand

The result follows several years of subdued fertiliser demand across the sector.

Ravensdown says improving agricultural returns, particularly for sheep and beef farmers, supported a recovery in nutrient applications and overall sales through the financial year.

Garry Diack, chief executive of Ravensdown, says the co-operative delivered numerous targeted projects designed to drive performance during the financial year. These included investment in the manufacturing commitment, freight optimisation, improved data decision support, and automation supported by AI.

"This result reflects the discipline we've applied across the business to become a more efficient, resilient co-operative," Diack says.

"By improving our operations, we've strengthened our financial performance while continuing to invest in the products, services and expertise our shareholders rely on," he says.

The co-operative's balance sheet remains strong, with an equity ration of 79.1% which is broadly in line with 80.3% in FY25.

Board Approves $15/Tonne Rebate

Ravensdown chair Bruce Wills says the Board weighed global supply volatility against a commitment to returning efficiency gains to shareholders, approving a rebate of $15/tonne on qualifying tonnes.

“This returns value directly to the farmers and growers who own and use the co-operative and who supported the business through the volatility of supply certainty in a high demand year," Wills says.

He says the Board's focus throughout the financial year has been to provide secure access to Ravensdown products at competitive prices.

He says they're pleased to be returning additional value to shareholders through the rebate.

"Fully paid shareholders will receive their rebate as a cash payment, recognising the investment they've made in the co-operative, while partly paid shareholders will this year receive their full rebate in the form of shares, helping them build their ownership in the co-operative," Wills says.

“We encourage shareholders to be fully shared up to access the full value of membership in the co-operative."

Geopolitical Volatility Shaping Global Supply

Diack says the FY26 financial performance demonstrates the value of the co-operative to deliver on its purpose in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

"International fertiliser markets remain heavily influenced by geopolitical events. Conflict in the Middle East, the ongoing war in Ukraine and broader supply chain disruptions continue to create volatility in both product availability and pricing."

He says the co-operative's long-standing relationships with global suppliers and it's joint venture partnership with Ravensdown Shipping Services are valuable strategic assets that have proven their worth to the business and shareholders over the last year.

"Our supplier partnerships have been built over decades. They are founded on trust, reliability and mutual commitment, and they provide Ravensdown access to product through different market cycles," Diack says.

"These relationships, combined with our domestic superphosphate manufacturing capability and national inventory management system designed to handle volatility, mean we're able to provide loyal customers with certainty in an increasingly uncertain world."

Investment in Smarter, Lower-Emissions Farming

Ravensdown continued to invest in tools aimed at helping farmers lift productivity while reducing environmental impact, part of what it describes as a shift toward a "fertliser plus impact-based" relationship with customers.

The next generation of its HawkEye technology, HawkEye Pro, uses AI to generate more detailed nutrient insights and farm-specific fertiliser plans. It's now available to dairy and sheep and beef farmers, with crop and forage functionality due before the end of 2026.

Through subsidiary Agnition, Ravensdown continued to scale EcoPond, its methane-reducing technology which is now operating on more than 200 New Zealand farms in partnership with Fonterra and Synlait.

Diack says global food company Nestlé worked with both dairy processors to reduce emissions intensity across their supply chains.

"The support of our partners has been invaluable in taking EcoPond from an innovative prototype to a proven methane reduction technology that is being deployed on farms today," he says.

Outlook

Diack says global uncertainty is expected to persist, but the co-operative is well-positioned as it heads into the 2027 financial year.

"We know farming businesses continue to face changing market conditions and ongoing cost pressures," he says.

"Our focus remains on being a trusted partner for shareholders by securing reliable supply at competitive pricing, providing expert advice, and delivering value through every part of the co-operative."

FY26 At A Glance

• Total revenue before rebate: $917.2 million ($763.9 million)
• Net profit before tax and rebate: $50.1 million (-$2.0 million)
• Net profit after tax and rebate: $30.0 million (-$5.4 million)
• Operating cashflow: $38.1 million ($103.2 million)
• Equity ratio: 79.1% (80.3%)
• Rebate: $15 per tonne on qualifying tonnes

Kate Acland, chair of the NZMB, says Guy-Meakin is a senior trade policy and advocacy professional with experience across the public and private sectors.

"Esther has held senior roles spanning international trade negotiations, industry advocacy, strategic communications and government relations," Acland says.

“Her deep trade policy expertise and strong understanding of the red meat sector will be valuable to the Board as it continues its important work on behalf of New Zealand’s farmers and exporters.”

Guy-Meakin has had a career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), leading goods negotiations in the RCEP and India-New Zealand free trade agreements, serving as legal adviser to the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiating team, and representing New Zealand as a diplomat in New Delhi, India.

She has also held senior roles at Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the Meat Industry Association, leading trade advocacy and market access strategy for the red meat sector.

Guy-Meakin will start her new role on 3rd August.

She replaces Nick Beeby, who has been appointed chief executive of the Meat Industry Association.

And Ewers’ contribution was recognised last night with the New Zealand Apples & Pears Incorporated (NZAPI) Outstanding Contribution Award at dinner in Queenstown.

Around 260 people, who attended the function, heard that Ewers has quietly made an extraordinary contribution to the sector, supporting growers, packhouses, exporters, and industry organisations through her expertise in compliance, logistics, quality assurance, market access, training, and biosecurity.

Throughout her career, she has built a reputation as a trusted advisor and mentor, generously sharing her knowledge without hesitation and helping others in the sector navigate increasingly complex industry requirements.

Colleagues describe her as practical, authentic, and deeply committed to helping others succeed.

NZAPI board chair Andrew Gibbs said Ewer’s contribution to the industry extended far beyond her formal roles.

“Mel is one of those rare people whose influence can be felt right across our industry. For decades she has quietly supported growers, businesses and industry initiatives, sharing her knowledge freely and helping others achieve high standards.

“She has never sought recognition or the spotlight, but her integrity, leadership and willingness to help others have earned her enormous respect and multiple nominations for this award. The New Zealand apple and pear industry is stronger because of Mel’s contribution, and we are delighted to recognise her contribution.”

Ewers began her career with ENZA, supporting growers in the Nelson region, before spending more than 20 years as compliance and logistics manager at Hoddys Fruit Co. Alongside her day-to-day responsibilities, she has assisted packhouses throughout New Zealand to implement best-practice compliance systems and has played an important role in training new phytosanitary inspectors entering the industry.

The Outstanding Contribution Award recognises individuals who have made a significant and lasting impact on New Zealand’s apple and pear industry.

Exports so far this season sit at 17.3 million tray carton equivalents, up 2 million on last year and 2.5 million on pre-cyclone levels.

Addressing NZ Apple and Pear Conference in Queenstown today, Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay noted that Royal Gala variety was in hot demand at 93% shipped.

He told 300 growers and stakeholders that their growth story speaks for itself.

Exports have risen from $347 million in 2012 to $1.1 billion by November last year. This year's Situation and Outlook forecasts apple and pear exports up 6% to $1.3 billion, within a record $64.3 billion for the primary sector.

“And the June year end is only part way through your season. There is more to come,” says McClay.

He praised the sector for doing this on slightly less land than they had in 2022.

Production is up 40,000 tonnes since then and forecast to be up 70,000 tonnes this year.

The sector has cut agrichemical use by 90% over a decade.

“That is exactly the kind of productivity growth New Zealand needs,” he says.

To help the apple sector and other agricultural exporters, the Government is pursuing new opportunities.

McClay says the global trade environment is uncertain and getting harder.

“My response as Trade Minister is simple. We open more doors, not fewer.

“That is why we have secured high-value agreements with India, the UAE and the GCC.

“We also brought the EU FTA into force many months early, so exporters could benefit from preferential access sooner. And we are not stopping there.”

Under National’s Next Billion Customers policy, they will begin negotiations with seven new markets: in South America, around India, in Africa, and in non-EU Europe. Discussions with Switzerland are already underway.

McClay noted that the India FTA is a once-in-a-generation deal with a market of 1.4 billion people.

“It eliminates or reduces tariffs on 95% of our exports. For apples, tariffs halve from 50% to 25% for 32,500 tonnes in year one, rising to 45,000 tonnes from year six.

“For pears, tariffs halve over ten years with no quota.”

He revealed that the India Apple Action Plan sits behind the deal, growing India's apple sector while securing NZ’s access.

Growers, exporters, researchers, government representatives and industry partners alike have gathered to discuss the challenges and opportunities that are shaping the sector’s future.

The first day of the two-day conference yesterday featured a packed programme of speakers and panel discussions covering topics including research and development, innovation, biosecurity, and what’s likely in the future for New Zealand’s apple and pear growers.

NZAPI’s annual general meeting was also held on day one of the conference, with the organisation announcing the re-election of two directors – Adrienne Sharp, T&G Global, and Cameron Taylor, Taylor Corp – and the election of new director Ross Wilson, Sunpeach Orchard.

Chair Andrew Gibbs also thanked outgoing director and former chair Lesley Wilson for her leadership and service after seven years on the board. 

NZAPI chief executive Danielle Adsett said the strong attendance and engagement demonstrated the industry’s commitment to continuous improvement and collaboration.

“It’s been fantastic to see so many people from across the industry come together to share ideas, challenge thinking and focus on the future of New Zealand apples and pears. The calibre of discussion today reflects the sophistication of our sector and the determination of growers and industry leaders to continue building a world-class industry.”

Conference delegates heard from a range of national and international speakers, with discussions highlighting both the opportunities and challenges facing growers in an increasingly complex operating environment.

Luca Lovatti, R&D Manager at Melinda Consortium, shared fascinating insights and tales of unique problem solving from Italy’s north, while Ministry for Primary Industries’ chief insights officer Jarred Mair gave growers a snapshot of the future of the AI.

Adsett said one of the greatest strengths of the conference was the opportunity for people to connect and learn from one another.

“Our industry succeeds when we share knowledge, challenge assumptions and work together. The conference provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen those connections and ensure we’re collectively focused on a strong future for New Zealand growers.”

With ploughing being a dark art, the duo has spent many years tweaking their tractors, ploughs and accessories to help gain those extra few points and achieve a win.

To give themselves the best chance of success, a plan made, shipping in April, contracting freight specialists Oceanbridge, who would use MSC Shipping to move the team's container to Rijeka, Croatia. Packed and loaded in May, with an initial arrival date in Europe of 18 July, the early arrival was deliberately planned to allow time for customs clearance cleaning, preparation, practice and any unexpected hiccups.

Despite that focus on logistics, the shipping has turned into a shambles, firstly with a delayed departure, causing the arrival date in Europe to push out to 24 July. On 16 June, Mark Dillon's wife, Sonia, asked for a shipping update, only to be told the container was still in Wellington, but Oceanbridge continued to advise that expected delivery was still around 25 July.

On 5 July, Sonia used an app to check the ship's location herself and was surprised to find it off Tasmania, sought an updated ETA and was told the container was now on a vessel heading back to New Zealand, with a revised arrival date to Croatia of around 24 August.

For a world championship ploughing team, it means two tractors, two ploughs, tools, parts and uniforms in the wrong ocean at the wrong time, given that the team had planned to arrive in Croatia in early August to unload, clean and prepare the gear, begin practice and understand local conditions, including topography and soils.

Competition requirements create additional pressure, with equipment needing to be scrutineered and used during official practice ahead and used during official practice ahead of the main event. While the duo has been offered loan equipment to allow them to compete, without their own gear, the team risks being unable to prepare properly, or indeed, compete at all.

The team is now scrambling to salvage what it can, including Oceanbridge looking at whether the container can be unloaded when the boat returns to NZ, so uniforms, parts and tools can be shipped separately to Europe to be used on borrowed equipment. However, there is a concern that MSC may decline to unload the container until it reaches Panama.

The issue also shines a light on the logistics that need to be in place for overseas competitors who will be heading to the World Ploughing Championships in Southland, New Zealand in 2029, with 24 predominantly European countries spending tens of thousands of dollars heading south.

As Rural News went to press, the team was exploring an alternative shipper who can get the container to the Western Mediterranean and a commitment to getting the container to Croatia by road.

Sonia Dillon says, "Oceanbridge have worked hard to find a solution, with the latest plan being to load the container onto a chilled ship that takes NZ fruit straight to Europe. This should see all the gear arriving on the day the event starts, so we have fingers, toes and everything else crossed."

She goes on to explain, that Mark and Malcolm will borrow tractors and ploughs for initial practice, then if all the ducks align, switch to their own equipment for the official practice sessions and the actual competition.

Rob Clayton says a second production line for its eShepherd virtual fencing is now up and running at its Hamilton site, as the company strives to meet growing global demand for remote farm management technology. A third production line is also being proposed.

"The boom's already happening and we've just built another production line," Clayton told Rural News.

"We could not keep up with demand; we couldn't build them as fast as people want to buy them."

eShepherd virtual fencing puts beef farmers in control of their cattle, without lifting a post or rolling out a wire.

Using solar-powered, GPS-enabled livestock neckbands and a simple app, farmers can fence, track and move cattle with ease, saving hours of mustering and fence work every week.

As chief executive of Gallagher's global Animal Management business, Clayton is eyeing growth across key markets.

Demand for eShepherd has been strong in the US, Australia, Canada and Europe. In fact, so strong that Gallagher had to fly the neckbands to farmers in these countries instead of waiting for ships to deliver them.

Clayton says he expects the strong demand to continue as mor farmers accept that wearables are the way to go.

Over the past year, Gallagher's Animal Management business has enjoyed 47% growth and eShepherd revenue has trebled. The business has also expanded its agritech capability, made acquisitions in Europe and South Africa, and established Gallagher in Brazil.

Across Gallagher Group, the business is also on track to reach revenue of $1 billion over the coming years. Gallagher Group has two main business units - Security and Animal Management. Both are contributing around 50% of the $600m in total revenues right now.

Clayton expects total revenues to reach $700m this year and a billion dollars in the next few years.

He agrees that competition among manufacturers of wearable technology is growing. He says Gallagher is not resting on its laurels.

"We are not sitting here saying that no one else has got a good product.

"There are other good products out there as well.

"I think the job that we have, along with the rest of the industry, is to educate how and where these collars, these wearables, actually work for growers."

Clayton believes more farmers are now willing to try out wearables.

"We are starting to get enough critical mass that growers are like, you know what? It's like an auto steer on a tractor. No one had them. Now everyone's got them.

"We're seeing this hockey stick effect as the early adopters tell all the other guys, like why aren't you doing this?"

Clayton believes successful agritech starts with real problems farmers are trying to solve, including how they make better use of one of their most valuable assets - their time.

"There is a lot of cool technology out there looking for a problem to solve," he says. "The technology that gets adopted quickly is technology that genuinely makes life easier, improves efficiency, saves time or helps farmers make better decisions.

"Agriculture is a game of inches. You have to find the advantages where you can. That's what drew me to Gallagher."

They have just been named as Fonterra's top organic performer for milksolids and that coincides with them developing a new exciting product from their milk - namely gelato to complement their organic milk sales.

The Moxhams say they are delighted and greatly encouraged to receive the award and say it's also a testament to their staff on their two farms in Koputaroa, a small rural community about 8km north of Levin.

The larger of the two farms runs 500 cows on 240 hectares, and the smaller 70ha one runs 120 Friesian cows that produce 45,000kgMS. This is the farm that won the award.

The Moxham family have been dairy farming in the area for more than 50 years, but it wasn't until 2010 that Ange and Wayne became officially certified as organic farmers.

Wayne says his father used to farm conventionally, putting on superphosphate and nitrogen.

"But dad saw the farm start to decline under this regime and wondered if there was a better way, and suddenly switched to just applying lime and things started to come right. A few years on, a friend suggested that they were close to becoming organic and that's what we did, and at the same time Fonterra was paying a premium for organic milk," he says.

After nine years of producing organic milk, the couple made a bold move and built a creamery.

Finally in September 2023, after months of trials and testing, the first glass bottles of organic milk from Udderly Organic began appearing in outlets throughout the lower half of the North Island.

Wayne says sales built up quickly as word got around they were selling organic milk.

Today they deliver milk daily to more than 100 outlets, ranging from Palmerston North and Whanganui in the north to the Wairarapa and down to Wellington.

"We employ staff to do this, but from time-to-time Wayne quite likes to hop in the van and do a delivery because he likes getting out and meeting the customers," says Ange.

And it's that special relationship with customers that has led to a new and exciting product being produced by Udderly Organic - gelato.

What they do to make it more attractive to the people who stock their milk is at the end of the week they take back any that is unsold and don't charge them for it. That equates to about 5% of the total milk sold.

"But that product is still perfectly good, so we freeze it and are now using it to make our gelato," he says.

She says there needs to be cross party support that stretches out over thirty years to get an idea of the spend and bring some certainty.

"Hopefully the emergency management legislation which is now before parliament will not suffer from political interference," she told Rural News.

"Those rural people who live at the end of the shingle road, across a bridge or up in the ranges need to feel connected to our society and supported like those of us who live close to towns," she says.

Faulkner says while there is fierce competition for road funding and other forms of infrastructure such as telecommunications, she believes that decision makers should think about where the export dollars come from - namely the folks that live in rural communities.

"In terms of connectivity, farmers run multimillion dollar businesses up in these areas and are required to do much of the so-called 'paperwork' electronically. For example, animal declarations, traceability for our animals and most of our accounting systems are cloud-based," she says.

But Faulkner says most important of all is having reliable connectivity when there is an adverse weather event such as recent floods in Wairarapa.

She says it's most important that families are able to reach out at critical times to those individuals or organisations that can offer assistance.

"That human connection is something that I cannot emphasise enough. You will see from Fed Farmers a real focus on making sure that those channels of communication are operating well and they cope with whatever mother nature throws them," she says.

Focus On Reforms

Faulkner says certainty and a clear understanding of the particular needs of rural communities is a critical outcome in the series of government reforms that are taking place at present.

She says the massive reforms now going through parliament will see the abolition of regional councils, RMA reform and changes to the rules around fresh water.

She says Federated Farmers is working through the implications of the local government changes to ensure that rural issues such as pest management and flood control are properly met in the changes.

"These are generational legislative changes and will determine how our children and grandchildren farm in the future. I cannot overstate how important it is to get this right now," she says.

That's according to Olivia Weatherburn, B+LNZ's national extension programme manager.

"Farmers today are wearing a lot of hats. Alongside running the farm, they're also managing people, systems and more.

"We heard clearly that farmers want more support to get the most from their people, and that's where the Employment Hub comes in.

"It pulls together practical, easy-to-use resources to help farmers through each step, whether it's hiring someone for the first time or managing a more established team."

B+LNZ has updated its Employment Hub, bringing together practical tools and resources to help farm employers build and support a strong team.

The update was shaped by extensive farmer input, with support from the former Workforce Development Council for the food and fibre sector, team helping identify gaps and improve how the Hub is structured.

The focus is on what farmers need most - simple, step-by-step resources that are easy to find and easy to use.

The refreshed B+LNZ Employment Hub has already seen strong uptake with more than 560 views since launching in March.

Weatherburn says the early usage reflects the demand for simple, practical support farmers can apply straight away.

The refreshed B+LNZ Employment Hub has reportedly already seen steady use from farmers looking for straightforward, practical advice across the full employment journey.

"So far, we're seeing the most interest in understanding roles on farm and career pathways, recruitment and selection, and staff management, especially building strong working relationships," says Weatherburn.

Michaela Frost, Mamaku Blue Blueberry in Rotorua, says growers are baffled by Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) plans to allow fresh blueberry imports from five countries - Mexico, Peru, Chile, US and Morocco.

Consultation has recently closed for Biosecurity New Zealand’s proposed import requirements for fresh blueberries.

But industry group Blueberries New Zealand says it’s worried about increased biosecurity risks - for example, bringing in the Spotted Wing Drosophila fruit fly or the bacterial plant disease Xylella fastidiosa.

Frost questions why New Zealand would want to open its multi-billion-dollar horticulture sector to pests and diseases from these five countries.

She says NZ blueberry growers are worried about pests like fruit fly arriving on blueberries from these countries.

“And the risk isn’t contained to the blueberry industry, since a fruit fly incursion will affect kiwifruit and apple growers too.

“So, there’s a lot of concern among NZ growers but so far MPI doesn’t seem to be listening to our concerns.”

New Zealand enjoys its own supply of fresh blueberries all year around. NZ blueberries are also exported to Australia and South Korea.

According to Frost, the five countries don’t have stringent laws around blueberry exports that NZ have.

“These five countries don’t have those standards that NZ growers to have here for their export.

“For us to be able to export to Australia, growers need to do a lot of work.

“And even to Korea, because now the fresh blueberries have been accepted to Korea - it’s a lot of work.

“You can’t have even a little tiny egg on the NZ blueberry. If that’s detected, everything’s compromised.”

Blueberries New Zealand chair Trudy O’Halloran has described the standards as “really unfair”.

She says that if a new pest or disease were to enter the country, it would likely have a significant impact on the wider horticulture sector and that could cost both growers and taxpayers millions.

“We just want MPI to sit down… and work through the standards with us,” she told Rural News.

Currently, New Zealand’s blueberry industry is valued at approximately $150 million, with aims to double that. It hires close to 4000 seasonal workers.

Thorough Assessment

Lisa Winthrop, Biosecurity New Zealand director, biosecurity import & export standards, says Biosecurity New Zealand has engaged ‘extensively’ with the blueberry industry throughout the development of the proposed import standards.

“Since 2021, there have been multiple meetings with industry representatives – meetings that have included presentations, workshops, and provision of technical information that supported our IHA proposals,” Winthrop says.

“We have provided responses to their questions throughout this period and also provided additional materials that industry representatives requested during the consultation period,” she adds.

Winthrop states that the proposed standards would, if finalised, set biosecurity requirements that must be met for fresh blueberries to be safely imported into New Zealand.

“It does not determine whether imports occur but establishes the conditions under which trade can take place.”

She says Biosecurity New Zealand is “extremely thorough” in its assessment of pest and disease risks and has set a high level of pest and disease protection for imported produce.

The US Trade Representative has formally requested the International Trade Commission launch a safeguard investigation into US lamb imports.

This investigation is not specifically directed at New Zealand and will be carried out by the US International Trade Commission, an independent non-partisan, quasi-judicial federal agency. The investigation is expected to take 4-6 months.

New Zealand lamb earns an average of $21.99 per kilogram in the US, compared to New Zealand's global average of $14/kg. Any restrictions on sheepmeat exports would lead to displacement of product to lower value markets.

"While the move is disappointing, the sector had been anticipating some form of action and preparing for this possibility," says Kate Acland, chair of Beef + Lamb New Zealand.

Acland says the sector will be working hard to ensure New Zealand's position is clearly understood.

"We are working closely with our Government and officials, maintaining regular contact with New Zealand's US partners and have engaged legal representation in Washington D.C. to support New Zealand's involvement in the investigation.

"New Zealand has a stable and balanced trading relationship that began 100 years ago."

Nathan Guy, independent chair of the Meat Industry Association, said the sector remained confident in its position that New Zealand's exports have not caused damage, nor pose any threat to the US sheep industry.

"Our sector produces a high-quality product that is trusted by customers around the world, including the US.

"New Zealand lamb complements US production rather than competes with it, filling supply gaps and occupying a distinct place in the market. We maintain that any action targeting New Zealand lamb is unjustified."

Since May, Global Dairy Trade (GDT) prices have fallen 11% across the reference products that inform Fonterra's farmgate milk price.

This prompted the co-operative to lower its forecast farmgate milk price by 50c to $9.25/kgMS, with a new range of $8-$10.50/kgMS.

ANZ agricultural economist Matt Dilly isn't surprised by Fonterra's revised milk price forecast at $9.25/kgMS.

Dilly told Rural News that this change brings Fonterra's forecast into alignment with ANZ's forecast of $9.20/kgMS.

"There is indeed a lot of milk being produced in the key exporting countries, and this has been a factor since early 2025.

"We haven't yet seen much evidence of supply contraction in response to lower prices. Milk prices haven't yet been low enough for long enough for farmers to hit the brakes.

"One exception is Europe, where milk prices have been weaker and the hot summer has caused production to slow somewhat."

Dilly expects prices to remain weak for the next few months, in line with a typical seasonal pattern, before recovering later in the season.

Fonterra chief executive Richard Allen says the change to the 2026-27 forecast reflects softer-than-expected demand at a time of strong global supply.

Allen expects a strong start to the season in New Zealand, noting the potential for the El Niño weather pattern to impact global supply as the season progresses.

"It's very early days in terms of the proportion of our FY27 sales book that has been contracted, so we face significant changes in commodity prices."

Allen says the co-operative continues to focus on maximising returns for its farmer shareholders.

"As the seasonal supply picks up, our plan will ensure to shift milk into the products and markets where we can get the best returns for our farmers' milk."

All three parties in the coalition government want WRC's Plan Change 1 (PC1) paused until the Resource Management Act is replaced with two new laws: the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill.

A parliamentary select committee reports back on the Natural Environment Bill this week. Rural News understands a pause could be announced after the second reading of the bill in Parliament.

Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says his party wants fewer consents and fewer headaches for farmers.

"We want a much simplified way of doing things, not having farmers to duplicate farm plans at extra cost," he says.

Hoggard says PC1 is not something his party wants.

New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones wants PC1 "paused before it becomes a bureaucratic death sentenced for farmers and growers across the region".

"Plan Change 1 is a 14-year-old regulatory taniwha, dragged out of the swamp by the old RMA, and now threatening to strangle the very people who feed this country," says Jones.

"That is not environmental management. That is economic vandalism wearing a hi-vis vest and carrying a clipboard," Jones says.

More than 4,500 farms across the Waikato and Waipā catchments could be affected, with hundreds facing the prospect of needing resource consent simply to continue existing farming operations.

At a meeting organised by Federated Farmers this month, Resource Management Minister Chris Bishop and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay heard from frustrated farmers.

Waikato Federated Farmers meat and fibre group chair Reon Verry told the meeting that farmers aren't happy with the situation.

"A whole lot of farmers that need resource consents which may then become redundant under the replacement for the RMA.

"So, the thinking is that 30-40% of dry stock farms may need consents and 75% of dairy farmers are likely to need controlled activity consents."

Verry says there was huge frustration among farmers.

"A lot of confusion in how these rules are going to line up with the current reforms that are coming.

"There's a real misalignment or collusion between what we're seeing in PC1 and what we've heard."

Bishop told farmers that an "entirely new planning system" is coming, with different rules and a much more permissive and liberal approach.

"It will be easier to do things in this country once the new rules come in."

Bishop says they are thinking deeply and carefully about what to do with PC1.

He hinted that there was a cabinet process to go through and a collective decision was needed at cabinet level.

A WRC spokesperson says that they have not received any director from the Government.

"We are presently responding to the directions of the court," he told Rural News.

"Implementation of PC1 is staged over a five-year period to allow time for council and industry bodies to be able to better support farmers and growers and others in the catchment.

"The adjustments needed will depend on the farm and the associated risks of contaminant loss, with those who have already implemented a range of good management practices generally expected to need fewer adjustments."

The Bashford-Nicholls Trust has supported her every single year since she began her degree in 2023, helping to reduce her course fees along the way.

But for Tayla, the impact goes beyond fees.

“The scholarship gave me something that money can't fully capture - time,” she says.

"Because a big chunk of my fees have been covered, I don't have to spend any spare hours behind a checkout or working multiple jobs. Instead, I've been out on farms, in horse stables, and at desexing clinics, volunteering, getting my hands dirty, and turning everything I learn in the lecture theatre into real-world experience.

“That is the difference this trust has made. Not just a degree, but a vet in the making."

With a year and a half until she graduates, Tayla's plan is clear. She is coming home to Taranaki to build a career as a large animal rural veterinarian, serving the communities that shaped her. There is one more detail that gives her story a particular weight. Tayla is the first person in her family, across many generations, to attend university.

“The Bashford-Nicholls Trust didn't just invest in my education,” she says. “It invested in breaking a cycle, and I hope that means something to the next kid from Taranaki who wonders whether they can do it too.”

Steele is out on farms before lectures, a vet in the making, the first in her family to go to university, and already planning her return to the region that believed in her first.

About the Bashford Nicholls Trust Fund

For more than 60 years, The Bashford Trust, has supported agricultural learning. Founded by two South Taranaki farmers, Claude William Nicholls and James Dawson Bashford who were changemakers ahead of their time. Born in 1880 and living just 5 kilometres apart, they each formed trusts so their farms would continue to benefit future generations. Their vision was clear: invest in the next wave of agricultural and veterinary leaders and innovators.

Over the decades, their legacies evolved. Under the stewardship of The Bishop’s Action Foundation (BAF), the two trusts were merged and BAF expanded the scholarships and created innovative awards, including the $100,000 PIVOT Award with Massey University and scholarships for up to five Level 4 Organic Horticulture students at WITT.

Today, the trust distributes around $300,000 annually, supporting vocational, undergraduate, postgraduate, and innovation pathways, helping thousands of young people advance careers in agriculture and veterinary science.  Last year, the Bashford-Nicholls Trust (BNT) transferred $14 million in assets to Taranaki Foundation, marking the largest single transfer of trust assets in New Zealand's community foundation network. This transition with the Trust partnering with Taranaki Foundation honours the original intent of the trust while strengthening it for today and for generations to come through active regional storytelling and donor engagement, backed up by local investment management.

A decision built on the next 60 years

For Simon Cayley, chief executive of Bishop's Action Foundation who manage the Bashford-Nicholls Trust, the decision to partner with Taranaki Foundation was about far more than investment

management. Bishop's Action Foundation had been stewards of the trust since 2008. The question was how to make sure the next chapter was just as purposeful as the last.

"This feels like another major milestone in continuing to honour the legacy that we've been asked to steward,” says Simon.

"We wanted to make sure the next 60 years were just as safe, just as purposeful”.

He says the partnership also brings something the trustees have long wanted, the ability for the Bashford-Nicholls story to be shared alongside others.

"Having our story told by Taranaki Foundation, being part of their story at the same time, and then getting other people really excited about how they could be part of that journey too,” says Simon. "That's the really exciting part.”

"We don't need to worry for the next 60 years that we've got to hold all of that investment knowledge. Taranaki Foundation brings that expertise. For us, it's a real safety net, it means this legacy is in safe hands for the long term”.

MPI's chief veterinary officer, Dr Mary van Andel, says the Ministry thanks the public for their vigilance.

She says specialist investigators have been out at Petone beach and have found nothing of further concern.

"It is not unusual at this time of year to find individual dead birds of different breeds along our coastlines, due to storms and other natural events," van Andel says.

To date, there has been one single coastal detection in an individual ocean-going seabird and there is no evidence of any mass mortality in wildlife or transmission between wild birds in New Zealand, she says.

She adds that thus far, there has been no detection in poultry.

"We already have a well-established surveillance programme that includes wildlife sanctuary notifications, zoos, along with poultry industry and vet notification, and of course the public," she says.

"Over the past 12 months, through surveillance and monitoring activities in wild birds, more than 2,500 wild birds and 12,500 commercial poultry were tested.

"We are continuing to ask the community to remain vigilant and report any sick or dead birds in a group of three or more."

What People Can Do

If you see three or more sick or dead wild birds in a group, report it immediately to the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66 from anywhere in New Zealand or report online at report.mpi.govt.nz  – if you use this method, select the ‘dead or dying wild birds’ option from the dropdown list and then the type of bird you have found.

Don’t handle or move the birds. 

Provide as much detail as you can, including:

• common name or species of sick or dead bird if known
• how many are sick or freshly dead, and the total number of birds present
• a GPS reading or other precise location information
• photographs and videos of sick and dead birds

More information about H5 bird flu and the work New Zealand is doing to prepare is available at mpi.govt.nz/hpai.

Halter's Beef Pro was rolled out in May alongside a move to connect its smart collars directly to satellite in partnership with OneNZ and powered by Starlink.

Since then, in New Zealand alone, 500 beef farms have joined Halter's satellite solution, with 185 farms on the new beef product.

Halter's country director for New Zealand, Josh Townsend, says beef farmers are rapidly moving beyond virtual fencing to take full advantage of pasture and animal management tools dairy farms have leveraged for years. He says it’s a level-set for the industry. 

“Kiwi dairy farmers are world-renowned pasture managers, and for five years have been incredible users of Halter; now for our beef farmers, it’s their day in the sun,” says Townsend.

The product combines feed demand and grazing planning tools, satellite forage signals, grazing intensity heat maps, behaviour monitoring, and automated grazing records - so the same system that moves cattle also helps farmers plan, measure and improve.

Beef operations can quantify what their herds need vs what their land can support, have this data drive planning, and build a record of how each grazing performed.

Wasted forage from under-grazing and over-grazing becomes the main prize; every percentage point of utilization captured back compounds. 

“Everything else - time savings, animal oversight, compliance records and replaced tools - stacks on top.”

Matt Wyeth, owner/operator at Spring Valley beef farm in Masterton, believes Beef Pro could bring beef farmers in line with the pasture precision their dairy counterparts are known for.

“Certainly we’re catching them up fast. Dairy farmers are typically ahead of us because they have more chance for income per hectare, but Halter has given us a giant leap forward and is allowing us to be great pasture managers too.

“We’re growing animals more consistently every day, not having a feast or famine scenario. With pasture, we’re getting more efficient with the amount of pasture needed to produce a kilo of carcass weight. Because we’ve had a great season where we’re growing more grass, we are tracking to reduce from a ratio of 24kg of dry matter per kilogram of carcass weight, down to only 21kg/dm per kilo; that’s a 12.5% efficiency gain in feed conversion: producing the same amount of beef with less pasture due to its quality.

“We’re now tracking rumination by the minute, constantly looking at every mob, and doing a quick health dashboard check every morning to check they’re on a good nutritional plane.”

Greenhill Farming in Kaingaroa, Northland has collared over 600 Friesian bulls. Co-owner Katie Waters sees Beef Pro as a way to double down on notable production gains they're already tracking towards, since getting Halter.

"Cattle are now shifted daily, rather than every second or third day. We’re running more mobs of smaller sizes, which is reducing social pressure in the herd and improving pasture utilisation,” says Waters.

"Halter will take our production gains even further. We're on target to hit 360kg carcass weight per hectare this season, up from our three-year average of 280kg. In the coming seasons we are hoping to continue these improvements and reach production in the mid-to-high 400s.

"For our bull operation, Halter’s land management tool has enabled us to run our property as 25 individual farmlets. Each farmlet has its own pasture metrics and targets in the Halter app. This has given full flexibility to adjust each block's round length, rather than a blanket approach across the whole farm, which historically has led to compromises and wastage."

Already 100 beef farms have signed up for Beef Pro, nearly half of them existing customers upgrading to the new suite of functionality. Halter has sold over a million collars globally, with nearly 400,000 of them satellite-enabled. Halter is the world’s only virtual fencing provider to offer a satellite service, obviating the towers needed for collars to talk to the software. 

Beef Pro is now available to new and existing Halter customers. More information at halterhq.com.

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says the case, a brown skua, was found on Petone beach in Wellington.

H5 bird flu is a low health risk to the public as it rarely affects humans unless there is direct, close, and prolonged contact with large numbers of sick birds.

Eggs and poultry remain safe to eat.

Hoggard says the case is a coastal detection in an individual ocean-going seabird and there is no evidence of any mass mortality wildlife or transmission between wild birds in New Zealand.

"There has been no detection in poultry," Hoggard says.

"The situation is being closely monitored, but at this stage there is no evidence of any illness beyond this seabird," he says. "We've had people out on Petone beach checking and found no other issues. We will continue to monitor the beach and surrounding areas."

"We ask the community to be alert and follow advice about reporting sick or dead birds. It is vital that people not touch or handle unwell birds."

Hoggard says the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will continue wider surveillance and work closely with industry, veterinarians, and wildlife carers.

He says New Zealand is well prepared to respond to H5 bird flu and will work to protect poultry production.

"MPI, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Health, and Health New Zealand have been working together with industry and local councils to get ready," Hoggard says. "Our response is designed to manage the risks of H5 bird flu, to protect poultry production, and reduce impacts on wildlife and communities.”

MPI has been working with the poultry industry to develop biosecurity and resilience plans, to create industry preparedness for when H5 bird flu arrives.

In September 2025, a Government Industry Agreement (GIA) formally established the Poultry Council to oversee the delivery of a joint readiness work programme between MPI and industry. This programme aims to minimise the impact of H5 bird flu on the poultry sector and safeguard New Zealand's chicken and egg supply.

At present, MPI is testing birds every few days through reports and targeted wildlife surveillance.

“While there are no detections in poultry, producers are reminded that on-farm biosecurity practices are crucial to protect the health of their flocks,” Hoggard says.

“Australia has recently experienced finds of single birds with H5 bird flu in coastal areas with no reports of mass mortalities. We may see a similar pattern here and we will remain vigilant.

"We are continuing to act early and prepare carefully, while asking the community to remain watchful and report three or more sick or dead birds in a group to the MPI pest and disease hotline."

The Department of Conservation (DOC) has started a vaccination programme for 300 core breeding birds from five of our most endangered birds - kākāpō, takahē, tchūriwat’/tūturuatu/shore plover, kakī/black stilt and kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet.

What People Can Do

• common name or species of sick or dead bird if known
• how many are sick or freshly dead, and the total number of birds present
• a GPS reading or other precise location information
• photographs and videos of sick and dead birds
• how many are sick or freshly dead, and the total number of birds present.

Patterson, currently in India to promote NZ premium strong wool, took to social media to respond to criticism from another coalition partner, ACT Party.

NZ First has been a vocal opponent of the free trade agreement signed between NZ and India.

Party leader Winston Peters has called it “a disgraceful sell-out of our country’s future” and “a free migration deal”.

The latter referred to a new temporary employment entry (TEE) visa negotiated under the agreement, which will allow eligible Indian citizens working in 13 skilled occupations to work in New Zealand for three years.

This morning, Patterson posted a photo with the Speaker of Indian Parliament, Om Birla on his Facebook page.

“I note some blatant politicking back home in regards this visit and New Zealand First position on the FTA,” says Patterson.

“It is well documented that it is not the trade element of the deal we are opposed to.

“Under the FTA, wool will benefit by having no tariffs down from 2.75% - useful but not a game changer.

“We have much higher ambition for lifting the value of wool to New Zealand farmers. Opening doors for our commercial sector is my role and today we made a strong start.”

The Indian Parliament has opted for NZ strong wool carpet.

Patterson says he was there to see NZ carpet on the Indian Parliament floor and there was no plan to meet Birla, the third ranking politician in the country.

“It was not planned and our delegation was there to see New Zealand’s most famous wool carpet.

“The Indian Parliament has a magnificent New Zealand strong wool carpet. Hand noted by some 900 highly skilled craftspeople. Absolutely exquisite.

“Speaker Birla found out we were there and generously offered to meet our delegation and show us himself.”

Patterson is also attending the Bharat Tex Textile Expo in New Delhi to promote NZ wool.

India is New Zealand’s second largest export market for wool.

India has an ambition of tripling the size of their textile industry and New Zealand Wool has a massive opportunity to help them, notes Patterson.

Tracy Brown, chair of DairyNZ, says the Environment Court's decision on Waikato Regional Council's Plan Change 1 (PC1) has created significant questions for farmers across the Waikato-Waipā catchment.

“Farmers need certainty, but certainty requires rules that are practical, affordable and workable on farm," Brown says.

She says that while PC1 is the council's current pathway, farmers should not be forced into cost, duplication, stranded investment or uncertain consent processes before the transition to the new resource management system is clear.

Brown says DairyNZ's position is focused on practical outcomes for farmers.

“We need one farm plan, clear guidance and tools, workable consenting, and no duplication between PC1 and the new resource management system. The council needs to work with industry to develop implementation guidance for PC1, such as how to demonstrate a farms risk is ‘as low as practicable’," she says.

“Farmers should not be dealing with multiple plans, shifting rules or costly consent processes that may need to be redone under the new system.”

According to DairyNZ, the decision will introduce new requirements for many dairy farms, including resource consents, farm planning obligations and nutrient management requirements. For some catchments, implementation timeframes may be relatively short, creating additional pressure and uncertainty for farmers.

Brown says DairyNZ recognises the concern many Waikato farmers have about the decision.

“PC1 has been a long and complex process. Farmers have been dealing with this for well over a decade, and many are understandably concerned about cost, complexity and uncertainty.

“DairyNZ’s focus is on ensuring farmers have practical, affordable rules that work on farm and support better long-term environmental outcomes.”

Throughout the Environment Court process, DairyNZ sought changes to improve the practicality and workability of the plan while continuing to support water quality outcomes.

“DairyNZ presented an alternative pathway that would have enabled more dairy farmers to operate as permitted activities, reduced compliance costs and provided a clearer pathway for demonstrating compliance, whilst achieving the same environmental outcomes.

“We secured a number of important improvements through the process, but many farmers will still face additional compliance obligations, costs and regulatory hurdles under the final plan.”

Brown says any intervention now needs to be focused on the practical issues farmers are facing.

“That includes freshwater farm plan requirements, section 107 issues, catchment-specific impacts, land value considerations, and any consent timing into the transition to the new resource management system.

“For some farmers the new requirements are what they are already doing and a consent under PC1 may provide longer-term certainty. For others, the requirements may be more difficult, particularly where there are catchment-specific challenges.

“That is why implementation needs to be carefully managed.”

Brown says PC1 also highlights why New Zealand’s resource management system needs reform.

“After years of hearings, expert evidence, legal process and significant cost, many farmers still face new consenting requirements and ongoing compliance obligations.

“No one could look at the length, cost and complexity of this process and conclude the current system is working as efficiently as it should.

“Farmers have already made significant environmental progress on fencing waterways, riparian planting, nutrient management and effluent systems in the 14-year period PC1 has been under review. They support improving environmental outcomes and are committed to playing their part.

“But they need a system that provides certainty, reduces unnecessary complexity, recognises the work already done, and focuses on outcomes rather than process.”

DairyNZ is working with dairy companies, Waikato Regional Council and sector partners to help affected farmers understand the implications of the decision and prepare for implementation.

“With the decision now released, our focus is on ensuring farmers understand what these changes mean for their businesses and have access to the support they need.

“We will continue to advocate for a practical transition that avoids duplication, protects farm viability, and gives farmers confidence to keep investing in their businesses and environmental performance.”

Minister for Resource Management Chris Bishop told a farmer meeting in Waikato today the Government was “thinking very deeply and carefully about what we do about that problem”.

About 350 farmers attended the meeting at Mystery Creek, organised by Federated Farmers.

PC1 was first notified in 2016 and was appealed to the Environment Court with its decision released on June 8.

The court directed the Waikato Regional Council to make 20 changes to PC1, giving it until July 21 to do so. Once the court confirms the amendments meet its intent, the plan will be finalised.

But Waikato farmers say it makes little sense to continue with PC1 while the Government is reforming the Resource Management Act (RMA).

Some farmers at the meeting called for a pause in the rollout of PC1.

Bishop didn’t rule out Government pausing PC1, but he reminded farmers that there was a Cabinet process to go through.

Speaking alongside Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, he reminded farmers that they were just two members of the Cabinet.

“We've got to act collectively as a cabinet,” he says.

“But I want to assure you that I'm leaving you with one message, which is that we get the problem of the new planning system starting, or at least rolling out, at the same time as PC1, at least in theory.

“And two aren't going to mesh together particularly well.”

Bishop says he understands the anxiety among Waikato farmers – who face the prospect of operating under PC1 until the RMA replacement legislation comes into effect.

Bishop says such a situation would be ridiculous.

“That would be completely contrary to what we're trying to establish as a government, which is less retake, less deprecation of effort, a more permissive environment and a more proportionate consenting and rules in the system.

“So, we're thinking about that very carefully right now, we can't get ourselves into a situation where PC1 rolls out at the same time as the new planning system starts.

“That would seem to me to be something that would be a regressive and retrograde option for you.”

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated (NZKGI), which represents NZ growers, says a record 225 million trays have been picked – nine million more than last season.

NZKGI chief executive Colin Bond says the trajectory for the sector is positive, but while volumes are up significantly, this does not necessarily equate to a big rise in grower returns.

Demand for kiwifruit is good in key markets such as Europe and North America but the returns per tray to growers is expected to remain about the same as it was last season.

The latest report by Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) shows that total export returns for kiwifruit will rise by about 13% over the next four years, but signals that the days of dramatic increases in export returns are no longer there.

NZKGI is cautioning about the difference between selling for good prices and profitability for growers.

“So, whilst we are selling for good prices in the market and there is good market demand, costs are always rising, including the increasing cost of finance for growers to buy new orchards as well as rising kiwifruit licences and actual land prices,” he told Rural News.

“Given this, we expect profitability to remain at current levels and not increase,” he says.

One of issues in this current year is the lower yields and smaller fruit size of green kiwifruit.

Bond says the harvesting of 58 million trays of green kiwifruit took longer than expected and the yield was 14% down on last season. He says with smaller fruit, the number of trays available for sale is reduced and some fruit may not meet the required export standard.

Bond says small fruit can be caused by several factors, the most common being when growers push their vines to produce higher yields in previous years and sometimes the vines struggle to do this all the time.

“This is a blip and not a catastrophe and it happens from time to time. For green growers a lot depends on what Zespri will be able to sell that lower crop for and whether there might be an opportunity to sell that fruit at a high price, or sell it quickly and therefore not incur less late season fruit loss,” he says.

Bond says there is still the potential for green growers to have good season.

Weather Woes

The much talked about El Nino weather pattern is also on the minds of kiwifruit growers but Colin Bond says there’s no need to be negative about this.

He says the big issue will be if there is enough cold weather to set up the fruit for bud break and then hope that the summer will be favourable.

“There are two perspectives on El Nino: If it’s dry weather, growers will need to irrigate to keep the plants strong and healthy, but on the flip side, a dry summer often means higher dry matter and really high-quality, tasty fruit,” he says.

The joint initiative with NZ Landcare Trust has seen 24 initiatives that support biodiversity, river health, and wetlands receive funding since the scheme began in 2022.

Dr Nick Edgar, chief executive of NZ Landcare Trust, says the progress made by each of the grants recipients over the years creates a strong legacy of positive action on the ground since 2022.

"Catchment groups have used their grants to achieve meaningful environmental outcomes in their regions," Edgar says.

He says that while each project is different, all of them are designed for the betterment of sustainable land practices and the improvement of water quality across the coluntry.

"Now, it's time for the 2026 grant recipients to embark on their projects and add to the legacy that this fund is creating," Edgar says. "It's strong, positive and meaningful work that we are proud to be a part of."

Westpac NZ head of agribusiness, Richard Anderson, says rural communities and farmers have long been at the forefront of enhancing and protecting the natural environment.

"We're proud that our NZ Landcare Trust partnership enables us to support this important grassroots work," says Anderson.

"We're committed to helping New Zealanders look after their own backyards, and our network of Agri bankers also directly support many of our farmers to enhance their farms through our Sustainable Farm Loan, which provides benefits for the whole catchment area," he says.

As part of the project, Westpac employees throughout the country volunteer their time to work alongside local catchment groups and NZ Landcare Trust’s coordinators.

In 2025, 77 Westpac team members helped with different projects. 

“All of Westpac’s 5,000-plus employees receive two volunteer leave days each year, and we’ll once again be encouraging our staff to get their hands dirty alongside other passionate locals on these projects,” Anderson says.

“Last month our Taranaki team used one of their volunteer days to assist Taranaki Catchment Communities on a site in Awatuna, planting more than 100 trees and shrubs to improve water quality.”

The Seven Recipients of 2026 Westpac Water Care Project Grants

• Pōrangahau Catchment Group – Taurekaitai ki Te Paerahi (Hawkes Bay) for a schools-based community planting day, including eco-sourced native plants for riparian and wetland planning and poplar poles for erosion-control slopes.
• Shannon Tokomaru Catchment (Horowhenua) for pest traps, native plants and fencing for wetlands and riparian margins for the 1,600-acre catchment of fenced mature native bush bordering Tararua Forest Park down to the Manawatū River, where there is a rich native fish community.
• Hunters Stream Community Group (Waimakariri) for a riparian corridor along Hunters Stream south of Cust, to ensure a clean stream and thriving wildlife through the mix of lifestyle blocks and larger farms.
• Lower Taieri Wetland Biodiversity Enhancement (Otago) to work with farmers to restore unproductive wet areas on their property through advice and native wetland planting.
• Lindis Catchment Group (Otago/South Canterbury) to continue native planting alongside the Tarras School to stabilise steam banks, suppress invasive crack willow regrowth and build a self-sustaining riparian corridor.
• Waihukatere / Te Kopu (Waikato) to clear noxious weeds along the Mangawhero Steam, plant the exposed areas in natives, and to establish an on-site nursery to grow trees for a longer-term sand dune restoration trial at the river mouth.
• Greater Dipton Catchment Group (Southland), to continue the restoration through shifting fences to enable young kōwhai to grow, riparian planning, and weed and predator control at the regionally and nationally significant, QEII-covenanted site that protects one of the last lowland kōwhai and ribbonwood forests on the Southland plains.

Holly Blue, New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) head of veterinary services - equine, says that early detection and strict biodiversity measures, including isolation and monitoring horse temperatures are critical to limiting the spread.

“We are currently monitoring affected and suspected properties and working closely with stakeholders to manage the cases while supporting industry activities, including race meets and sport horse events to continue safely,” Blue says.

Currently, there are 12 confirmed infected properties. 11 of them are in the Waikato and one is in Auckland. That Auckland case is directly linked to the Waikato outbreak.

The affected young horses are being kept in isolation, and the current risk to the wider Auckland horse population is considered very low.

“At this stage, the outbreak remains confined to the thoroughbred population and is largely restricted to one regional area," says Blue.

"While everyone involved with horses should remain vigilant and continue to maintain good biosecurity and disease control practices, there is currently no evidence of transmission into other horse populations.”

Blue says that while it's not a notifiable disease Strangles can spread rapidly and cause severe illness and any prolonged outbreak would have a significant impact on horse welfare as well as the industry with increased costs, disruption to international movement and reputational damage.

“Strangles spreads through direct contact with infected horses, or personnel such as groomers, trainers and even domestic pets that have been in contact with them, as well as contaminated equipment, clothing, footwear and hands, and infected nasal and oral secretions," she says.

Blue says it is critical that horse owners monitor for early signs of the disease.

Those signs include fever, loss of appetite, depression or dullness, coughing, thick nasal discharge and swollen glands.

"Ultimately, a thermometer is your best friend right now. If you notice a fever especially after movement, travel or contact with unfamiliar horses, treat it as Strangles until proven otherwise.

“Isolate the horse immediately and contact your veterinarian for diagnosis and advice.”

Horse owners should follow stringent biosecurity protocols, including using PPE when handling horses, monitoring the temperatures of both healthy and infected horses regularly, and isolating any suspected cases.

“Disinfect all equipment and clothing after contact with infected or suspected cases. To help prevent the disease, regularly disinfect equipment and wash hands thoroughly after handling horses.

“Horse owners should also talk to their veterinarian about vaccination, which can help reduce the severity of disease," Blue says.

She says treatment involves nursing care, good nutrition and hydration.

“With these measures, most horses recover and antibiotics are not generally required, except in very rare cases and only with veterinary advice.

“Again, a thermometer is your key tool, along with staying informed, staying vigilant and work closely with your veterinarian for advice, diagnosis, treatment and protecting your horses from Strangles.”

Further support and resources are available on the New Zealand Equine Health Association website.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Seymour stated RWNZ had submitted against the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill without consulting members.

“That seems crazy since 1) their whole organisation is based on sex identity, it’s in their name and 2) farmers need to know about biology or they won’t be good farmers,” Seymour wrote.

He labels the submission as a ‘misrepresentation’ of members’ beliefs on the issue.

“After nearly 12 years in Parliament, I’ve learned to be very careful about claims that ‘this group of people think these things about that’ unless they can show they really do reflect those people’s views,” Seymour wrote.

The Bill, submitted by NZ First MP Jenny Marcroft, seeks to amend the Legislation Act 2019 by defining a woman as “an adult human biological female” and a man as “an adult human biological male”.

According to the bill, it’s purpose is to “uphold legal certainty, protect the integrity of sex-based rights, and ensure that language reflects biological reality”.

It states that the legislation will mean that the described definition will apply in all contexts where the terms ‘woman’ and ‘man’ are used.

According to RWNZ’s submission, the resources put toward the Bill could “make the biggest improvement to rural women and their families through investment in healthcare and mental health support, addressing the rise in cost of living, and undoing changes made by the Pay Equity Amendment Act discontinuing existing pay equity claims”.

The organisation claims the bill falls short of New Zealand’s human rights obligations and risks increasing harm to communities who experience discrimination based on their gender identity.

“Furthermore, the Human Rights Act 1993 already protects sex-based rights and gender identity rights, side by side, and has done so for decades,” the submission states.

“RWNZ’s priority is improving the lives of rural women, their families and their communities. We do not believe this Bill will achieve that outcome.”

Sandra Kirby, chief executive of RWNZ, says the decision to submit on the bill was a board-led decision and process.

“We do not believe this Bill will improve the rights, opportunities, or wellbeing of women and girls in New Zealand,” she told Rural News.

“At a time when rural communities are dealing with real and pressing challenges, this Bill represents time and resource that could be far better spent on issues genuinely improving women’s lives,” Kirby concludes.

But the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said "it was probably a no", according to New Zealand Apples and Pears chief executive Danielle Adsett.

She was told that apples won't be part of the deal because India has never done apples in any free trade deals before.

"Equally when we spoke to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in Delhi, it was just a hard no," Adsett told a gathering at the National Fieldays in Hamilton.

Building on Decades of Cooperation

"I don't take 'no' well and I thought there'll be a way around this.

"So, what we did is we decided to build on the decades of cooperation that we'd already had in that market."

New Zealand has been exporting apples to India since the early 1990s and has been part of several World Bank projects with NZ experts helping Indian apple growers lift productivity.

India, the fifth largest apple producing country in the world, has over 1 million apple growers, mainly in the northern states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Complementary Seasons Create Export Opportunity

Indian growers produce an average of six metric tonnes of apples per hectare, compared to NZ growers doing 120MT/ha. The Indian climate is extremely high. The cool chain is difficult, and the rootstocks and the varieties are very old.

Adsett says over the 18 months they went to MFAT with a co-operation plan - if NZ apples are included in the FTA, then they would send experts to India for five years post-FTA at their own cost to help Indian growers.

"So, we put that plan on the table and that also for us, it's about having complementary supply.

"India grows apples in the alternate season to New Zealand. So, we can provide apples into their market to complement their own domestic supply.

"And if we can help them prosper in their local communities, I think that will just go to show that this is more about the longer-term relationship between our apple growing nations than just what has happened as a result of the FTA."

India FTA Delivers Tariff Reductions for NZ Apples

When the Indian FTA was finalised late last year, New Zealand apples won a 50% reduction on tariffs, down to 25% for exports between 1 April and 31 August.

The quota starts at 32,500MT in year one, growing to 45,000MT in year six and onwards. Outside of these conditions, New Zealand growers can export at the current 50% tariff.

Adsett says getting apples on the table, that was cool.

"Those late night and early morning calls as we got through the nuts and bolts was great to be involved with and great to get there," she says.

"I think more importantly we're going to build the relationships that will see us prosper in this market into the future.

"And I think for us we see this as the start of the relationship, not the end."

'Significant Support'

The Indian FTA has come under fire from some NZ politicians, including New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

But Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay urges people not to "believe everything you hear blowing in the wind".

McClay says there's significant support throughout New Zealand for this free trade agreement because it is very high quality.

"And I know that Kiwis know that actually the relationship that we've formed with India, government-to-government, people-to-people, culture-to-culture, sport-to-sport, is actually good for us on both sides."

It comes from Chris Brandolino, principal scientist - forecasting and media at Earth Sciences NZ, who says while history tells us the El Niño usually brings dry weather to eastern areas of both islands and Northland and wetter weather to western regions, there is no absolute guarantee that this will happen over the coming year.

He points out that in the 1970s, '80s and '90s, when there were major El Niño events, there was no fixed weather pattern.

Brandolino says on one occasion there was a severe drought in a region, but some years later El Niño turned on a wet season.

"Each El Niño has its own personality and characteristics and forecasters like me can't predict exactly what El Niño we will get. There will be subtleties with the present El Niño," he told Rural News.

Brandolino says already there are some worrying signs related to El Niño occurring in the South Island, particularly around Mid Canterbury, but also in East Otago and around Dunedin.

He says some places are in "meteorological drought" and at the moment there is a significant soil moisture deficit in many places.

He says if such places don't get rain, the ground water will not be recharged, with significant implications for farmers who irrigate their land or crops.

The other point of note, he says, is the occurrence of some very high temperatures near Christchurch.

"This situation is really eye grabbing and of significant concern," he says.

While there have been signs of drought in Northland and right down the East Coast of the North Island from Gisborne to the Wairarapa, and especially in Central Hawke's Bay, recent rains will ease the situation and give those areas time to recover.

"As we approach spring, the indications are that in Canterbury it could be particularly windy and this could accelerate dryness. The other risks it poses are for fires, which we have seen already, and there is the possibility of damage to irrigation systems. So, when you combine the wind, the spikey temperatures and the elevated level of dryness already, it raises concern," he says.

Despite it being winter, Brandolino says overall temperatures in NZ in June have been unusually warm, dictated it would seem by high sea temperatures, but he says he'd be surprised if these conditions continued throughout the winter and believes there may be some cooling in August and September.

He also points out that while there is a lot of talk about El Niño, that in itself only accounts for about 25% of the actual weather conditions. 

He notes that other factors including sea temperatures play a part in the weather we get. It should be noted that Australia is also experiencing El Niño and the warning has gone out to farmers there that it may have different impacts in different states or regions, the same as NZ.

“My message to farmers here is: number one, to have a plan. You are much better to have one and… not need it, than being in a situation where you need it and don’t have one. The plan must state what actions should be taken when paddocks start to get dry. But above all, make a point of keeping up-to-date with the latest weather forecasts and the projections going forward,” he says.

Brandolino says knowing that El Niño can be fickle and unpredictable, it is vital that farmers and orchardists get the latest and best information possible so that they can make the right decisions at the right time for their property.

"You can currently see in Canterbury there's arable farms leaving the industry to go to livestock or dairy. And if we can't change what goes on in our industry, we risk losing its critical mass," Dillon told Rural News.

A Southland arable and grazing farmer, Dillon is currently the Southland provincial president, a position he held from 2021 to 2024 and took up again in May when Jason Herrick resigned to stand for New Zealand First at the general election.

Dillon says he will again stand down to concentrate his new role as national Arable Chair.

"It's very important to advocate for the arable farmers of New Zealand. I've been involved in this industry for a long time and it's good to be giving back."

Dillon says his priority is to return the sector to something that's sustainable long-term.

He runs what he describes as a "fairly large scale" arable and grazing operation near Gore, with 600ha of arable crops and about 260ha in grazing.

Dillon says the big challenge for arable farming in Southland, as in the rest of the country, is profitability.

He says there are cost increases in everything arable farmers do, and what they are receiving for the seeds and the grain they grow is not reflecting that.

"And the biggest challenge now is no one saw the fertiliser prices doubling. We knew they were going to go up a bit, but we didn't know they were going to double.

"And in an industry like arable, you cannot simply stop using the stuff. Diesel and fertilisers are just part of what we do."

Tackling profitability could mean moving into different markets and improving efficiency, said Dillon.

With the livestock sectors currently doing well, that may mean arable farmers moving into more livestock, or switching to more profitable crops - which may come at the expense of some of the feeds that go into other sectors.

Dillon points out that the arable sector exports a lot of vegetable seeds, but the grains grown are almost entirely sold locally to the livestock sectors.

"So, we don't contribute heaps to what is exported from the country, but we produce a heap towards what is exported from the other sectors."

El Niño-Type Season

The outgoing Feds Arable Chair, Leeston farmer David Birkett, says Canterbury farmers were always thinking about drought, but even with irrigation, no system will keep up during an El Niño-type season.

"There'll be choices to be made between which crops are going to essentially be sacrifice crops and which ones will receive irrigation."

Although many crops were already in the ground, he said farmers should now be considering more water-efficient crops for spring planting, because once you're into the season, it becomes around where is the best place to put water and also how you set the crop up.

Setting up for a high yield when you know a dry summer is coming is asking for problems, said Birkett.

Although rising fuel and fertiliser prices are taking some shine off the record returns, farmer sentiment remains high, he adds.

Dawkins was commenting on a Beef + Lamb NZ report showing total on-farm inflation was flat for the second year in a row.

The on-farm inflation rate was -0.9% in the year to March 2026. This follows a 0.6% fall in 2024-25.

The overall result was driven by a fall in interest rates which account for 18% of total farm expenditure and is the largest single expenditure category for sheep and beef farms.

Fuel and Fertiliser Costs Cloud Outlook

Dawkins says that while the reported drop in on-farm inflation is most welcome, it doesn't cover the post-Iran conflict period.

"The subsequent price rises in fertiliser and fuel are taking some shine off the record returns," he told Rural News.

"However, the sentiment in the sheep and beef sector remains very high with farmers making hay while the sun shines.

"Investment in deferred maintenance, short term debt and new technologies means farmers will be more resilient should these costs continue to rise or schedule prices drop."

Underlying Inflation Continues to Climb

The B+LNZ Sheep and Beef On-Farm Inflation report provides a detailed analysis of the changes in farm input prices and their impact on farm expenditure, offering valuable insights for farmers developing their budgets.

The findings come at a time when sheep and beef farmers are experiencing record returns and continuing strong international demand for New Zealand red meat.

B+LNZ chair Kate Acland says there's no doubt the red meat sector is in a stronger position than we've seen for somee time.

"But while revenue has improved, we know that input prices are moving just as quickly. The focus now is on building resilience for whatever comes next," she says.

The annual report does not cover the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz closed on 28 February, leading to sharp increases in fertiliser and fuel prices.

In the year to March 2026, the report shows that when interest is excluded, underlying on-farm inflation rose 3.9%. This exceeded the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase of 3.1% for the same period, meaning that most farm input prices are rising faster than general consumer prices.

The price of fertiliser, lime and seeds increased by 8.1%, the report shows. These products are the second largest farm expenditure category, accounting for around 15% of total expenditure.

There were also increases in rates (up 9.2% in the year to March), electricity (up 7.1%) and fuel (up 3.1%).

Strong Demand Supports Outlook

With interest rates forecast to rise later this year, Acland says that on-farm inflation is expected to increase in 2026-27.

"Farm input prices are significantly above pre-2021 levels. Over the past five years, cumulative on-farm inflation has increased by 30%, compared with 25% for CPI.

"However, the continuing strong international demand for the high-quality meat and wool that New Zealand sheep and beef farmers produce means our farmers are well-placed to meet increasing input prices.

"They will need to remain vigilant to ensure they are maximising the value of all farm inputs."

This follows over one-third of Bremworth shareholders opposing a scheme of arrangement for the listed company’s sale to Floorscape Ltd.

Floorscape is part of NYSE-listed Mohawk Industries and owner of Godfrey Hirst. The proposed buyout was first announced in October last year.

Major Shareholders Block the Buyout

While the High Court approved the scheme in February this year, the Commerce Commission expressed concerns and finally approved the sale last month.

However, Bremworth shareholders, David Ferrier, as well as the Timpson, the Harrison and the Woolf families, have committed to vote against the proposed sale, forcing the company to cease discussions with Floorscape.

Board Defends the Proposed Sale

Bremworth chair Rob Hewett says the board is frustrated with the actions of these shareholders.

He says they have chosen to announce their commitment to vote against the scheme after the final regulatory hurdle was achieved but before an independent adviser’s report was released to shareholders.

“This has taken away genuine choice for Bremworth’s remaining 2,300+ shareholders, including minority holders.

“To date, the opposing shareholders have not offered any alternative plan for the Bremworth business nor details of any alternative acquirer willing to make an offer at or near the level of the Floorscape Scheme.

“The board engaged with Floorscape in good faith and continues to believe that the Scheme was in the best interests of Bremworth shareholders. It is disappointed that shareholders were not given the opportunity to vote on the Scheme with the benefit of all relevant information.”

Bremworth Focuses on Business Recovery

Hewett says the board will continue to execute on its previously stated initiatives aimed at achieving profitable growth and positive cashflows.

Over the past year, Bremworth has implemented and made progress on several initiatives aimed at improving performance, with priorities being cost reset, revenue recovery and capital discipline.

While wool carpet sales in New Zealand and Australia are ahead of last year, overall trading in both markets continues to be challenging.

Construction Slowdown Continues to Weigh on Demand

Hewett says macro-economic headwinds have put pressure on consumer spending, particularly in the construction (new build and renovation) markets, with a flow-on impact on flooring demand.

Bremworth indicated in February that the business was not cash flow positive or profitable in the second half of FY26.

The company will provide further detail when it announces its FY26 preliminary financial results by end-August 2026.

However, it's important these prices are underpinned by strong demand so they can be sustained, says Ross McIsaac, a sector executive at Wool Impact working on boosting the demand and value for New Zealand strong wool.

The strong wool price has been on the rise, doubling in the last 12 months, giving growers a long-overdue lift in prices.

The Fusca strong wool indicator reached $7.14/kg two weeks ago, up from $3.49/kg one year ago.

McIsaac says they are hearing from farmers that these price lifts are covering shearing costs and returning wool to profitability, but the rapid rise in prices means that some farmers won't have sold wool at these price levels yet.

"The strong wool price, and farmer sentiment toward wool, is in a better position than it has been for at least a decade," he told Rural News.

"It's important these prices are underpinned by strong demand so they can be sustained. That's the work that's happening across the industry now."

Wool Impact is part of the Wool Alliance, a partnership with Campaign for Wool NZ, Wool Research Organisation NZ, and Beef + Lamb NZ, to build the case for one focused wool organisation to do the work needed to improve the profitability of wool long-term.

Achieving this will require a collective effort across the industry and great progress has been made, says McIsaac.

"The important thing now is to keep building collaboration, transparency and investment across the sector," he says.

McIsaac was at Fieldays as part of the Wool Alliance. Wool Impact also partnered with MPI and ASB to showcase wool's possibilities.

He says sentiment among farmers was positive, helped by strong prices across the agri sector, including wool.

"The conversations we were having about wool were broader than price alone; farmers are keen to know the range of innovative uses for their wool, changes that are happening in the industry to improve value-chain efficiencies and brand-grower connectivity, and how things like certifications support brands in market."

Keep It Going

Strong wool price increases have been driven by a mix of supply reduction and increased demand.

However, Ross McIsaac says they are focused on doing their bit to keep building demand.

"There has been good work happening on the demand side across the supply and value chains for our wool.

"Globally, brands are seeing opportunities for natural product collections, and the health and performance benefits of wool are being recognised."

There is growth in core products like carpets, bedding and furniture through companies like Godfrey Hirst, Bremworth, Wools of NZ, and Wisewool.

Wool acoustic products produced by companies like Floc and Autex are driving growth for wool in the commercial interiors category.

There are novel products being commercialised and scaled by Keraplast, Lanaco, Wool Source, and Woolchemy for personal care, filtration, biobased ingredients, and hygiene products.

"What was on display with wool at Fieldays showcased why we're confident the right things are happening now that will lead to returns for wool growers continuing to improve - we need to keep it going," McIsaac says.

Great Relief

ANZ agricultural economist Matt Dilly says wool prices have nearly doubled the past year, to the great relief for the wool industry, gaining 90 cents in the past two months alone to reach $6.30/kg clean. It's close to the highs previously seen in 2011 and 2016.

Tight wool supply is a main contributor, but demand has been strong too. Smaller flocks in New Zealand and Australia have tightened supply.

In the wider context, wool will cover its shearing costs in 2025/26 this year for the first time since 2018/19 for the typical North Island hill country farm, Dilly notes.

"Prices aren't yet at the point where wool revenue will influence stocking rate decisions, especially with lamb and beef prices so strong," he says.

Wool accounts for about 3% of sheep and beef revenue and hasn't been above 10% since 2015-16.

The red meat sector is bracing for a decision from the US administration on whether investigations should be launched into so-called unfair trade practices, to reintroduce tariffs deemed illegal by the US Supreme Court.

US Remains New Zealand's Highest-Value Sheepmeat Market

Meat Industry Association chair Nathan Guy says the US is New Zealand's most lucrative market for sheepmeat, fetching on average $21/kg over the last 12 months. NZ sold more than $600m worth of sheepmeat to the US last year.

Guy is ultimately worried about any potential tariff or quota causing displacement of exports away from the US and pushing prices down.

The EU buys about 70,000 tonnes per year at an average price of $20/kg and the UK pays an average price of $15/kg.

China is a high-volume market buying 156,000 tonnes and paying on average $7/kg.

China can take almost the whole of the carcass, so it's still a very strategic market for processors.

Industry Rejects Claims of Market Distortion

Guy, who recently visited the US and met with Government officials and farmer groups, says there has been talk of a sheepmeat investigation, but the final decision rests with President Donald Trump.

His message along with Beef+Lamb chair Kate Acland, to US farmer groups was that NZ sheepmeat imports into the US aren't causing any injury or price distortion.

There are only 5 million sheep farmed in the US.

"We're counter seasonal and grass fed so we have a real point of difference," he told Rural News.

Guy points out that the American population consumes a tiny amount - about 90 grams of sheepmeat per year on average - and consumption demand is growing.

"It's clear to me our imported lamb will help lift a rising tide that ultimately floats all boats," he says.

"If there's an investigation process kicked off, I hope that sunlight will be the ultimate disinfectant.

"Any potential investigation should be focused on driving consumption of lamb in the US market.

"We know there's common ground around promoting a World Lamb Day and both countries are grappling with parasite drench resistance."

Political Relationships May Be Critical

Guy says, like everyone else, he doesn't know when and if any investigation would start.

New Zealand is banking on the warm relations between Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Guy believes having a direct political contact will be important if indeed an investigation kicks off.

"There's a lot of lobbying going on for and against in Washington right now. Only time will tell," says Guy.

Main Markets

According to the Meat Industry Association, last year China took $156,000 metric tonnes of New Zealand lamb, valued at over $1.1 billion of $7.11/kg.

The EU bought just under 70,000MT valued around $1.4b or $19.92/kg.

The UK took 36,000MT, valued at $526m or about $14.50/kg.

The US imported 32,500MT, valued at $685m or $21/kg.

Total exports to these markets reached 370,000MT valued over $4.6b or on average $12.62/kg.

Crop spraying is an important job on an arable farm as it is vital that agricultural chemicals are applied accurately, not just to minimise inputs and costs but to avoid environmental affects such as spray drift. 

Tom Wolf and Jason Deveau are co-founders of Sprayers 101, a non-profit, independent resource describing best practice in safe, efficient and effective agricultural spraying. As well as providing resources on their website, they also hold workshops which provide technical information to enable farmers and contractors to make the most of every spray application.

The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) has organised a series of grower workshops with the pair throughout New Zealand from August 4 to 14. This follows the success of FAR’s combine workshops. 

FAR technology manager Chris Smith says that spraying is one of the biggest investments growers make during a season.

“Small changes in how a sprayer is set up and operated can have a big impact on crop performance, input efficiency and environmental outcomes. These workshops are about giving growers practical knowledge they can apply straight away on their own farms.”

Tom Wolf says the Sprayers 101 workshops cover topics such as how to choose the right nozzle, how to minimize spray drift and how to get the timing right for fungicides.

“Our crops are valuable and we need to protect that yield and crop quality.”

The pair promise that the workshops will be fun and interactive, while seeking to solve growers’ spraying issues including water volume, droplet size and spray pressure. 

As interest in spray drones continues to grow, two drone-specific workshops, at Leeston in Central Canterbury, and Ongaonga in Central Hawkes Bay, will give growers a deeper look at where drone applications may fit within arable systems, where limitations remain, and how to make evidence-based decisions around their use. For those unable to attend the drone workshops, key drone-related topics and insights will also be covered as part of the main Sprayers 101 programme.

Ahead of the workshops, the Canadian experts sounded a warning on drone spraying, with Tom Wolf saying he’s rarely been as conservative about a new technology. 

“I have yet to see evidence that the drone advances the state of the art over and above what a (land-based) boom sprayer currently does.

“It does not necessarily advance drift management, which we fought hard to obtain through good stewardship and also to build trust with our client groups and the general public.”

Unlike the United States, Canada has only just started to relax regulations around the spraying of pesticides from drones, says Jason Deveau.  

“Your swath, that is the width or the distance that you can reliably spray uniformly with as little variability as possible, is absolutely critical to drones working accurately.

“If you don't know how much area you've covered in a pass, if you don't know how much area is going to give you the efficacious result you're looking for, then that kind of variability is not what we're looking for in broadacre crops.”

Sprayers 101 workshops will be held on August 4 at Leeston, August 5 at Ashburton and Timaru, August 6 at Oamaru, August 7 at Gore, August 10 at Masterton, August 11 at Ongaonga, August 12 at Bulls, August 13 at Te Awamutu and August 14 at Te Puke. Additional drone spraying workshops will be held at Leeston and Ongaonga.

Register for the workshops on the FAR website, www.far.org.nz/events

The 29-year-old dairy farmer claimed New Zealand's most prestigious farming title on Saturday evening following a fiercely contested competition against six other regional champions. Slee says he’s feeling “really good and proud” to take out the top spot.

“It means a lot to win – just proud to represent Otago Southland,” says Slee.

Slee becomes the 14th winner from Otago Southland, and the third member of his family to claim the title, following in the footsteps of his father Richard Slee (1999) and uncle Simon Hopcroft (2004). His victory also returns the trophy to Otago Southland for the first time since Season 50.

The seven Grand Finalists from across the country went head-to-head across a demanding programme of challenges including exams, interviews, practical modules and public speaking, all designed to test the breadth of skills required in modern agriculture.

Heading into the Agri-Knowledge quiz, Slee was sitting in third place behind Cam Clayton and Jack Taggart. A dominant buzzer-round performance saw him surge up the leaderboard and claim the national title, echoing a comeback his father

Richard made during his own winning campaign in 1999.

In the end, runner-up Jack Taggart from Aorangi missed out on the title by ten points, and Cam Clayton from Waikato Bay of Plenty finished third.

Despite the distance from Southland to New Plymouth, Slee had a support crew more than 60 strong cheering him on throughout the Grand Final weekend – support he was quick to acknowledge on stage.

“I want to thank everyone who helped along the journey, all the sponsors, organisers and especially my family and partner Genevieve,” he says.

Heading into the Grand Final weekend, Slee says he was feeling a mix of nerves and optimism.

“Always hoping, but very nervous,” he says.

Trailing both Jack Taggart and Cam Clayton heading into the Agri-Knowledge quiz, Slee mounted a dramatic comeback during the buzzer rounds to snatch the lead and secure the title. In a fitting twist, the late charge mirrored a similar comeback by his dad on his way to the FMG Young Farmer of the Year title in 1999.

In addition to taking home the coveted title, Slee also claimed top honours in Agri-business and the Agri knowledge challenge, taking his total prize haul to more than $90,000.

Looking ahead, Slee says the win won't change his immediate plans too much.

“It's straight back to the farm, we've got calving to do,” he says.

While the title brings new opportunities, Slee says he's happiest doing what he loves.

“I love being out on the land with the cows and sheep, so hopefully I can just keep doing that.”

New Zealand Young Farmers Chief Executive Cheyne Gillooly said Slee impressed judges throughout the competition with their broad skillset, leadership qualities and commitment to the food and fibre sector.

“FMG Young Farmer of the Year is one of the most prestigious farming awards in the country. It’s incredibly exciting to see the title go to Tom, someone who is not only an exceptional farmer, but also a strong ambassador for the next generation of people working in the sector.”

“The standard this year was incredibly high. Every one of these finalists should be immensely proud of what they've achieved. These young farmers represent the very best of our sector, and the talent, leadership and commitment they've shown this weekend gives me a lot of confidence in the future.”

Gillooly also acknowledged the massive contribution of those working behind the scenes who make the competition possible.

“It’s the people behind the scenes, our volunteers, supporters and sponsors, who make this competition what it is. We’re hugely appreciative of everything they give to make it happen.”

“These seven young farmers represent the very best of not only the food and fibre sector, but I think the very best of this country.”