Federated Farmers Against NAIT Ear Tag Scheme
NEW ZEALAND - Federated Farmers is warning farmers not to purchase ear tags in anticipation of the proposed National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme.

Higher Input Prices Put Pressure on NZ Beef
NEW ZEALAND - New Zealand sheep and beef on-farm inflation was 7.6 per cent in the year to March 2009, according to Meat & Wool New Zealand’s Economic Service.

New Zealand Welcomes Positive Signals on TPP Talks
NEW ZEALAND - Meat & Wool New Zealand says comments by the United States Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, that he wants to continue the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP) talks, is an important signal.

New Zealand Beef in Favour at Korean Conference
GENERAL - New Zealand grass-fed beef was a hit with Koreans attending a New Zealand exhibition in Seoul last month, with some visitors waiting as long as two hours to get a sample from the Meat & Wool New Zealand stand.

Good News for NZ Beef and Lamb Exports
NEW ZEALAND - Export figures are showing New Zealand lamb and beef prices continuing to strengthen in spite of the difficult global economy.

NZFSA Strategy Fights Foodborne Salmonella
NEW ZEALAND - The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has launched its plan to reduce the incidence of Salmonella in food. There are 1,274 cases reported to public health units a year, or 30.2 cases for every 100,000 New Zealanders.

New Zealand Best Practice Mission
NEW ZEALAND - The Task Force Primary Producers’ Group that was part of the Best Practice Mission to New Zealand (NZ) has now finalised its report to the Task Force. This article is a brief ‘taster’ of just two aspects of the report, which might be...

Consultation for Farmers over Levy
NEW ZEALAND - Meat and Wool New Zealand says that the aim of the upcoming consultation round is not to convince farmers that the levy needs to be increased.

Meat & Wool New Zealand Appoint New Director
NEW ZEALAND - Silver Fern Farms’ Chief Executive, Keith Cooper has been appointed to the boards of Meat & Wool New Zealand and the New Zealand Meat Board.

Lobby Group Challenges GM Livestock Approval
NEW ZEALAND - A lobby group yesterday challenged a plan to develop and commercialise genetically modified animals.

ASEAN Free Trade Agreement Welcome in NZ
NEW ZEALAND - Meat & Wool New Zealand Chairman, Mike Petersen has welcomed the improved trading environment for meat and wool products that will result from the free trade agreement (FTA) signed today at the ASEAN summit in Thailand.

Vet Scheme to Aid New Zealand Producers
NEW ZEALAND - A scheme rewarding new vet graduates, who choose to work in understaffed rural areas, will benefit the practices they work at and rural communities.

Good Management Critical in NZ Drought
NEW ZEALAND - Good farm management and smart decision-making are key to coping with the continuing dry conditions, says Agriculture and Forestry Minister David Carter.

NZ Tracking Device Finds Scaremongering Conspiracy
NEW ZEALAND - The government has told farmers it will not commit to the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) system until after a second stage business study is completed in June for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Farmers Turn to Technology to Combat Input Prices
NEW ZEALAND - Using global positioning systems (GPS) and other precision agricultural equipment has helped some farmers combat high input costs from 2008, says Rabobank Analyst Adam Tomlinson.

US Signals Better for New Zealand Beef
NEW ZEALAND - A recently released report from the Meat Importers Council of America (MICA) indicates that a turnaround in the US beef market could occur early in 2009, in spite of the economic slowdown, says Meat & Wool New Zealand Chairman, Mike Pet...

Farmers Face a Challenging Year
NEW ZEALAND - Farmers recovering from drought are likely to have a challenging year due to rising costs coupled with economic uncertainty, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s latest report.

More Animal Welfare Resources Called for
NEW ZEALAND - The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) is supporting a proposal from the Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) for more animal welfare resources.

Weathering the Storm: The Fate of Meat
NEW ZEALAND - The longer-term outlook is positive for New Zealand’s livestock producers, who are wellplaced to over-come short-term challenges and weather the storm created by the current financial crisis, audiences in rural New Zealand were told last...

Antibiotic Sales Show Little Change
NEW ZEALAND - Total sales of prescription veterinary medicines containing antibiotics in New Zealand in the 2006/07 year have decreased to levels similar to the 2002/03 year, and are down 11.9 per cent on 2005/06 sales, according to a report from the...