Spotted something in our weekly e-diary newsletters and need to refer to it again?
Spotted something in our weekly e-diary newsletters and need to refer to it again?
This page contains this week’s e-diary national notices.
If there’s something you want to know specific to your region, contact your local extension manager – find their details here.
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See elsewhere on our website for other e-diary info:
This week’s notices:
BREAKING NEWS: Government announcement on freshwater
Yesterday the Government announced it is starting work to replace the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and moved the deadline for regional plans out to 2027. The current rules are not working so this is a positive step in the right direction. However, the most important thing is the regional planning processes to give effect to the existing legislation must stop. We’re not sure what’s been announced will achieve that, so we’ll monitor this closely. Farmers need certainty. If those regional processes don’t stop further measures will be needed. We’ll continue advocating on other related freshwater rules that still need changes, such as certified freshwater farm plans, stock exclusion and winter grazing – we expect to get to those early in the New Year.
Staying safe over Christmas
It has been a really big year and as we head into the summer period we know people are trying to juggle so many balls. There have been five quad bike deaths in the last 10 days and our deepest sympathies are with the families affected. Remember, getting home is the most important thing and sometimes taking a few minutes longer can save your life. B+LNZ is a supporter of the Safer Farms initiative, which offers a range of resources around planning and communicating, and managing risks, and farmers can share info about good calls. Access the Safer Farms website here.
Farmers help raise meals for hungry Kiwis
Yesterday, 14 December, Meat The Need’s The Big Feed telethon raised 639,312 meals for food banks across the country. What an incredible effort! Thanks to everyone who got involved and a big shoutout to farmers for making this all possible. As a proud sponsor of Meat The Need, B+LNZ got behind the challenge throughout the day. Rewatch the livestream on Facebook.
M. bovis update
A dairy farm has been confirmed infected with Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) in Selwyn in Canterbury, bringing the total number of Active Confirmed Properties to two. Finding further infection in the tail end of an outbreak is not uncommon and it is possible more properties will be confirmed infected in the coming months. The new infected farm neighbours the other Active Confirmed Property and was identified following routine testing. Depopulation, cleaning and disinfection and the 60-day stand down period for both Active Confirmed Properties is expected be completed in early 2024. You can find more information here.
Farmers help raise meals for hungry Kiwis
Yesterday, 14 December, Meat The Need’s The Big Feed telethon raised a significant amount of mince and milk meals for Kiwis in need. The telethon exceeded its goal of 1.2 million meals. Thanks to everyone who got involved. As a proud sponsor of Meat The Need, B+LNZ got behind the challenge throughout the day. Rewatch the livestream on Facebook.
B+LNZ’s recent environmental policy priorities survey
Around 100 farmers completed our recent survey on environmental policy priorities – thank you to everyone who took the time to give us your thoughts. There was good support across the policy areas we identified. The survey responses are helping to inform our work with Federated Farmers and DairyNZ on the most urgent and immediate policy priorities for the new Government, and on our wider policy advocacy.
Applications for Next Gen Sheep Producers programme open
As part of the Global Sheep Producers Forum, we’re looking for two young (under 35) New Zealand farmers to participate in the Next Generation Sheep Producers programme. You’ll work with young farmers from Australia, Canada, USA, and the UK to discuss shared challenges and opportunities before meeting in Australia in August 2024. Visit the B+LNZ website for more info and to apply. Applications close Thursday, 15 February 2024.