Rural news in brief
Still time
Nominations close tomorrow for any outstanding native forest initiatives for the Growing Native Forest Champions awards. Now in their second year, the awards recognise individuals and organisations leading the establishment and restoration of native forests across Aotearoa New Zealand. They celebrate practical, on‑the‑ground efforts that support biodiversity, strengthen land resilience, and deliver enduring environmental and economic benefits.
Rural expo
King Country River Care is holding a rural expo evening in Te Kūiti next week to build on the momentum of its successful One Billion Trees catchment restoration project, which supported large-scale riparian planting and environmental initiatives across local farms. The organisation supports farmer development and knowledge sharing. The event will bring farmers and rural service providers together to share ideas, explore practical tools and connect ahead of the busy winter rural events calendar.
Gongs presented
Lloyd Downing with Dame Cindy Kiro.
Agricultural leaders Lloyd Downing and Neil Bateup were presented with their New Year’s honours by governor general Dame Cindy Kiro at Government House in Auckland last week. Downing was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for his services to agriculture and governance. Bateup became a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for his services to the rural sector.
Neil Bateup with Dame Cindy Kiro
Leadership in focus
LeAnne Blakelock, Rachel Short and Hinehou Timuti,
Two Taranaki farmers – LeAnne Blakelock and Rachel Short – and Hinehou Timuti, general manager at Te Tawa Kaiti Lands Trust in the Bay of Plenty are finalists for the Dairy Woman of the Year award. The award, run by Dairy Women’s Network in partnership with Fonterra, recognises women who are making a tangible contribution to dairying through leadership, innovation and service to their communities.
In the centre
Lawrence Meredith chats to Fieldays visitors at the Irish Pavillion last year. Photo: Supplied
For the first time in its history, Fieldays will have a central function space designed to put major events in full public view and Fieldays chief executive Richard Lindroos says it marks a turning point for Mystery Creek. The new Fieldays Function Centre, created on the Village Green, will host high‑profile lunches, breakfasts and international events during Fieldays week, bringing political leaders, diplomats and industry figures into the heart of the site rather than tucked away on the fringes.
Tax implications
Fonterra farmers have approved the scheme of arrangement for the capital return that’s expected from the sale of its global consumer and associated businesses. Fonterra has obtained a binding ruling from Inland Revenue that the amount paid to shareholders under share buyback arrangement will be treated as a return of capital and not as a dividend for income tax purposes. This means the proceeds will not be taxable in shareholder’s hands.
Farm purchased
Braden and Brigitte Barnes
Braden and Brigitte Barnes have taken the leap into farm ownership to purchase their first farm after being one of three recipients last year of the inaugural Fonterra and ASB First Farm award at the New Zealand Dairy Industry awards last year. The couple have bought a 200ha grazing block in Sheffield, Canterbury, with an existing consent to convert to dairy. The couple – who got up to $1 million of ASB Business Term Lending fixed at 1% per annum for three years, along with a Fonterra launch package that includes $20,000 of Farm Source account credit to drive productivity and sustainability, mentoring, and additional support to help them successfully transition into ownership – plans to convert, milk 600-650 cows, and supply Fonterra in the next 18 months.
Balance right
Theané de Klerk
New research suggests New Zealand farmers are broadly matching phosphorus fertiliser use to the needs of their soils, helping maintain relatively stable nutrient levels across the country’s agricultural land. Recent master’s research by Theané de Klerk analysed New Zealand’s national agricultural phosphorus (P) budget and found that overall, fertiliser use is closely aligned with the amount needed to maintain soil fertility. De Klerk’s research was funded by the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand and was supervised by Associate Professor Lucy Burkitt, Dr James Hanly and Professor Peter Tozer of Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, and Dr Katrina Macintosh of DairyNZ.
Research grants
Utakura 7 Incorporation
Seven of the Bioeconomy Science Institute Maiangi Taiao’s research programmes – spanning its land, plant, food and forestry scientific areas – have each received $350,000 in the latest Rangapū Rangahau round of the He Ara Whakahihiko Capability Fund. The Rangapū Rangahau Fund supports collaborative, two-year projects aimed at building Māori research capability and durable partnerships between Māori-facing organisations and the wider science, innovation and technology (SI&T) system – with a focus on economic and environmental outcomes.
Paying off
James Smallwood
New Zealand dairy farmers are making more informed, strategic breeding decisions, and it’s paying off. CRV managing director James Smallwood says the industry is finally seeing the lift in herd genetic gain it has been pushing for, driven by greater use of genomic young sires and a shift toward breeding replacements only from the best cows.
