Jaime Heywood is happy to admit he was ‘blown away’ by the scale of New Zealand’s seed industry when he joined Barenbrug as finance director 16 years ago. 

Robert Sharkie has joined Farmlands in the newly created position of general manager of field and technical sales. 

Even after decades in crop protection, Gordon Harris enjoys nothing more than getting out on orchards, vineyards or farms where producers haven’t got quite the results they’ve wanted, and helping solve the situation. 

Scott Technology has secured multiple high-value contracts with leading global companies, showcasing the strength of its protein automation portfolio. 

Eastland Port in Gisborne has achieved a monumental milestone in its decade-long Twin Berth Development journey, with the recent issue of new consent from the Environment Court.

Rapid advances in drone technology have encouraged one young Southlander to jump in and start his own business applying fertiliser and crop protection for local farmers. 

New Zealand textile innovator Woolchemy has released a comprehensive whitepaper assessing the performance of its proprietary neweFlex, a high performance, wool-based Acquisition Distribution Layer (ADL) for the USD $126 billon hygiene products industry. 

Dr Alison Stewart, chief executive of the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR), will step down from the role, which she has held for seven years, on 30 June 2025. 

A new project led by Bragato Research Institute in partnership with A Lighter Touch aims to provide another control option for New Zealand winegrowers dealing with powdery mildew in their crops.

In the small North Island town of Waitoa, a massive commitment to New Zealand’s red meat industry is about to bring new meaning to added value processing. 

Canterbury could get a new food and fibre hub if a potential international partnership goes ahead.

Vital agricultural research is at risk due to flaws in the current funding model, prompting Beef + Lamb New Zealand and partner organisations to raise concerns with Minister Shane Reti.

Animal and Plant Health NZ welcomes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intent to recruit more staff to process new agricultural and horticultural product applications, but says its members believe more fundamental action is required.

Populations of maize pest fall armyworm have reached levels requiring chemical control in Northland this season. 

High insect pest pressure in spring-sown pastures and crops means close surveillance is even more important than normal as summer advances.

Novel chemistry from one of New Zealand’s leading crop protection specialists was in strong demand during the spring spray-out and early establishment phases, with high populations of springtails, army worm and cut worm reported.

Corteva marketing manager Glen Surgenor says a mild winter in many areas may be part of the reason.

Around the world, soils under managed grasslands hold a lot of carbon, up to 22 per cent of all land-based carbon stocks.

How the land is managed affects whether these soils gain, lose, or keep their carbon – and historically, much carbon has been lost as natural ecosystems have been converted into grassland.

Land management to maximise soil carbon stocks in grasslands could help New Zealand’s overall greenhouse gas balance.

Failed technology project comes at high cost

OSPRI has apologised to levy-payers for the cost of its failed major technology upgrade and says it will now focus on rebuilding a national animal identification and tracing (NAIT) programme that in future will be able to integrate with its other systems.

This follows what those who own the organisation describe as significant issues with the intended MyOSPRI upgrade; a $16.6 million dollar write-off, resignation of chair Paul Reynolds and the appointment of three new OSPRI directors.

Almost 3000 insects, spiders and mites have been found in native planting at a Pukekohe demonstration vegetable farm, designed to provide food and habitat to maintain beneficial species populations over winter.

Over a century ago, at FMG’s inception, the idea of being safe online would have been a vastly foreign concept.

Imagine this. You’re woken from sleep on a Sunday night to be told your well-established agri supply business is literally in flames.