Rural mental health support available, Differentiated Slaughter Levy changes for TBfree programme, Applications open for Value Chain Innovation Programme
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:
Rural mental health support available
Mental Health Awareness Week is coming up (18–24 September) and is a timely reminder to check in with your family, mates and neighbours. There’s lots of support and resources available for rural New Zealanders – see a list on our website.
Differentiated Slaughter Levy changes for TBfree programme
The bovine TB Differential Slaughter Levy (DSL) is collected via meat processors to support funding of the TBfree programme. Each year, the levy rates are reviewed to ensure programme funding is in line with the TB Plan Funders’ Agreement and levies are adjusted to reflect the latest industry Farm Gate Values and slaughter volumes for both dairy and beef industries. From 1 October 2023, the DSL for beef cattle changes from $5.50 per head to $4.75 per head and the DSL for dairy cattle changes from $10.50 per head to $11.50 per head. NAIT data is used to determine whether an animal is classed as dairy or beef. Cattle born and registered on a dairy farm are likely to be classed as ‘dairy’ unless a person in charge has, at some point, changed the production type in NAIT. Farmers can update an animal’s production type in NAIT so they are charged the correct slaughter levy. For more information, please visit the OSPRI website.
Applications open for Value Chain Innovation Programme
If you're a rural professional keen to gain an entrepreneurial edge, check out the Value Chain Innovation Programme by Rural Leaders and Lincoln University. This six-day programme running from 12–18 November is a facilitated field trip through New Zealand’s leading value chains, with a focus on the North Island. Find out more and apply here. Applications close 17 September 2023. B+LNZ supports Rural Leaders as part of its People and Training workstream.
New campaign showcases variety of roles with meat industry
Meat Business Women’s latest campaign ‘The Power of You’ tells the stories of the people who work within the meat industry, and showcases how the industry can attract and retain more women to become a more inclusive sector. Learn more about how you can get involved. B+LNZ is proud to be a territory partner of Meat Business Women NZ.
Have your say on M. bovis consultation
Consultation on proposals to change the approach to eradicating Mycoplasma bovis is underway. The proposals include moving the management of eradicating M. bovis from the Ministry for Primary Industries to OSPRI, establishing a National Pest Management Plan, and decreasing farmer levies to finance the programme. Now that there are no known cases of infection, it is appropriate to begin focusing on surveillance to provide confidence that the disease is absent from New Zealand, while ensuring capability is there to respond to and control any future cases of infection that currently remain undetected. You can have your say by visiting the MPI website. Submissions will close at 5pm, Monday 25 September.