Governments risk throwing good honey after bad - Jonathan Milne:

Mānuka honey producers on both sides of the Tasman will want more public funding to escalate a contentious international court battle over whether any one group can own an entire variety.

Analysis: Nicola and Robbie Patrick are preparing to extend their small Tasmanian business producing manuka honey, to push into the lucrative UK export market. "We will obviously be looking at the opportunities that will be there," Nicola Patrick says. "With our hives, we are not big corporate players – in Tasmania we are family-run businesses. We will never compete as far as volume is concerned. We are more about quality at a boutique level." 

Their company, Blue Hills Honey, may be a small operator – but it is challenges like these that are worrying a group of New Zealand mānuka honey producers. After a costly and damaging legal defeat in the UK this month, that opens the doors to so-called manuka honeys from around the world, the New Zealand group reveals it is seeking English lawyers' advice on mounting an appeal. . . 

New share ownership model needed to combat fragmentation in Māori farm incorporation -

The outgoing Ātihau-Whanganui Incorporation chair says one of the biggest challenges facing the Māori farming organisation is the ongoing fragmentation of shares.

Mavis Mullins said the whānau of more than 9000 shareholders and descendants continued to expand as individual families grew, and many shareholdings were being broken into increasingly smaller fragments.

She said continued fragmentation would affect decision making, identity, connection and the wellbeing of shareholder whānau.

"I hope we never end up at a place where everyone owns a little bit of nothing because of that fragmentation and the disconnection of our whānau," Mullins said. . .

Winner has found feet in the sheds - Tracie Barrett:

Alexandra teenager Charis Morrell has been around sheep and shearing from before she could walk.

But it is only this year that the award-winning woolhandler has felt that "everything clicked" for her in the job.

The judges of the New Zealand Corriedale woolhandling championships at the Canterbury Shears in Christchurch last month took notice, the 16-year-old claiming her first senior title to add to three junior titles on lambswool over the past two seasons.

Champions run in the family — father Dion Morrell is a former shearing champion and world record-holder, and sister Pagan Karauria is also a world champion woolhandler. . . 

 

Farmers give $37,000 to Auckland Mission - push on to $100,000 :

The Federated Farmers "Farmers Feed Families" campaign is in its last week, and the farmer advocacy organisation is blown away by the generosity shown by Kiwis at Christmas.

Feds Gisborne President Toby Williams, who came up with the campaign to raise money for Auckland City Mission, says the struggle is real for families as a result of COVID-19 fallout, including loss of jobs or cutbacks to hours.

'Farmers Feed Families' encourages farmers and growers to consider giving a wee bit to the cause via a Givealittle page which links directly to the Auckland mission. As at today more than $37,000 has been given and the push is on to get to the target of $100,000.

"We can do this and I ask farmers and growers to dig deep this week," Toby says. . . 

Animal ID compliance on the rise:

MPI push on NAIT compliance pays off with almost 90% in 2021.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is warning against complacency as rates of compliance with the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme continue to rise.

The scheme, which maintains a national database of cattle and deer movements, is a critical part of New Zealand's ability to respond quickly to biosecurity threats, says MPI National Manager of Animal Welfare and NAIT Compliance, Gray Harrison.

"We take non-compliance seriously because of the potentially devastating effect these threats can have on industry and communities. . . 

Tree planting incentives 'eroding' Scotland's food security :

Scotland's food security could be 'eroded' if tighter tree planting safeguards on productive farmland are not implemented, NFU Scotland has warned.

While the union remains supportive of the integration of woodlands into farm businesses, it is 'fundamentally opposed' to largescale forestry expansion on productive farmland.

Such growth in recent times has been fuelled by non-agricultural businesses purchasing land for planting to offset carbon emissions and boost their green credentials.

At the same time, this is eroding Scotland's capacity to improve its self-sufficiency in food, NFU Scotland warned. . .