Articles in ‘Farming’

New Zealand and Australia like to think of themselves as food powerhouses. · William West/AFP via Getty Images | Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Otago · But right now, a war in the Middle East and China’s fertiliser export restrictions are exposing a dangerous blind spot: their farms depend on imported fertiliser, and they have no plan for when it stops arriving. · As much as fertiliser might seem like a background detail in…

There’s a growing tension in New Zealand’s farming sector — and it’s no longer sitting quietly in policy papers or industry meetings. It’s now out in the open. On one side, Federated Farmers are urging caution. On the other, farmers themselves are pushing back — hard! And at the centre of it all is a simple question: · Why are New Zealand farmers forced to meet higher standards while competing against imports that don’t? · The Official Line:…

We hold our farmers to some of the highest standards in the world and then wonder why local food costs what it does. I’ve spent my life working with animals, raising them carefully, and making sure every step is done right. I’m accredited, audited regularly, and every animal that leaves my farm is tracked and accounted for. I invest in proper transport, infrastructure, and paperwork, and I follow every rule not only because it’s the right…

What Happened to Our Food, How to Fix It, and How Long Will it Take? · Dr. Robert W. Malone · What Happened to Our Food and How to Fix It · The science of soil depletion, nutrient loss, and the regenerative path forward · Pick up a tomato from a supermarket shelf and compare it to one you pulled from rich garden soil this morning. You already know which one tastes better. You probably also sense, even if you could not prove it in a…

Overnight results from the Global Dairy Trade auction showed prices rising more than 6 percent, reversing a slide that had seen the index fall nine times in five months. The lift comes after fears that farming, one of the few bright spots in last year’s economy, may have already peaked. · The increase was stronger than anticipated. Cristina Alvarado, head of dairy insights at the New Zealand Exchange, said a rise had been expected, but the size…