Back to Blog

Threatened whio population climbs as DOC and Genesis renew recovery partnership

The number of breeding pairs of New Zealand’s threatened whio (Blue Duck) has almost tripled over the last 10 years, according to a survey released today by the Department of Conservation (DOC).  There are now 863 whio breeding pairs living in eight protected sites across the country – 565 more pairs since 2011 and an increase of 190%. DOC Director General Lou Sanson says the excellent survey results reinforce the decision of DOC and Genesis to renew their Whio Forever partnership. “...

Farmers need certainty about environmental management tools used for regulation

The Managing Director of agribusiness consulting firm, Perrin Ag, says farmers need certainty about the tools regional councils will use to estimate on-farm nutrient loss, consider and grant resource consents, and assess compliance. Lee Matheson’s caution comes on the back of the Government’s report on Overseer, released yesterday (12 August 2021). “It is clear that the Scientific Review Panel has identified a number of issues with Overseer that it considers significant and the Government...

Hamilton records lowest number of homes listed as housing demand continues to rise

The number of houses for sale nationwide has reached its lowest level since recording started 13 years ago with just 449 houses currently for sale with agents in Hamilton according to realestate.co.nz. Lodge Real Estate director Jeremy O’Rourke said there were approximately 269 houses listed for sale with agents in Hamilton during July, one of the lowest levels of listings on record, and down 30% when compared with July 2020. “July is traditionally always a quieter time in the market, but st...

Gallagher supports red meat sector innovation with B+LNZ Awards sponsorship

Gallagher is strengthening its support for innovation in the red meat sector through a three-year sponsorship agreement with the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Awards. Gallagher will sponsor the Innovative Farming Award, which recognises excellence in an innovative farm activity, or activities, that have the potential to increase on-farm profitability, safety or resource-use efficiency. Demonstrating ‘out of the box’ thinking, the farmer or farming operation will have (or in process of completing)...

Shedding sheep - Wool you or won’t you?

By Lee Matheson, Perrin Ag A perfect storm has been brewing. Low wool prices, increasing shearing costs, dilapidated wool harvesting infrastructure (historically known as woolsheds), a tightening labour pool and an apparent lack of consumer recognition of wool’s inherent values and performance as a fibre, are all contributing to increasing moves towards shedding sheep. It is a potentially divisive and emotive topic when raised with sheep farmers. The noise around the place for shedding breeds ...

Ditch the spin

By Heather Claycomb. There are a lot of things that “spin.” In fact, spinning is most often a good thing.  We want the Earth to keep spinning – that’s a good thing.  Those of us who spin multiple plates simultaneously are praised for our skill.  Other good things that spin include cricket balls, wheels, fans, tops.  You see where I’m going with this, right? While spinning can be a good thing, in the context of communication it’s bad.  Very bad. And unfor...

Cannasouth opens $6 million capital raising to fund revenue-generating growth phase

Medicinal cannabis company, Cannasouth Limited (NZX:CBD), announced this morning that it has opened a $6 million offer to consolidate its operations to take full advantage of the revenue opportunities ahead of it. Earlier this month, Cannasouth announced it had entered into two conditional agreements to acquire the balance of the stakes that it does not already own in its cultivation and manufacturing joint venture businesses, Cannasouth Cultivation Ltd and Midwest Pharmaceutics NZ Ltd.  A ...

Marketing & PR: get the balance right!

If you are a business owner, manager or leader, you not only need to understand the difference between marketing and PR, you need to ensure your company is implementing a balance of both.  If you’re not, the reputation of your organisation could be on shaky ground. So, here are four differences between marketing and PR.  Building sales vs building reputation Marketing’s ultimate goal is to sell more.  Whereas the ultimate goal of PR is to solidify your organisation’s reputat...

Cannasouth appoints cultivation operations manager

Cannasouth has appointed Tony Clark as Operations Manager of its Cannasouth Cultivation Limited joint venture business.  Mr Clark brings to Cannasouth more than 20 years of engineering, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industry experience, having worked with Pentair Valves & Controls Pacific Pty Ltd and Douglas Manufacturing Ltd. He is currently the General Manager of Douglas and will join Cannasouth on 20 September 2021. Clark will manage the company’s state-of-the-art controlled envir...

Strong industry partnerships will protect farming’s future

Strong industry partnerships will be crucial to protecting the future of New Zealand’s primary industries as farming becomes increasingly data driven, according to Gallagher’s new Global General Manager of Animal Management, Lisbeth Jacobs. Lisbeth’s comments come as she joins other industry leaders in Christchurch this week for the Federated Farmers Primary Industries New Zealand Conference. Lisbeth believes that unlocking the full potential of the technology needed to safeguard farming�...

More Aucklanders make the move to Hamilton for the good life

Hamilton is high on the list for Aucklanders wanting to escape skyrocketing house prices and gridlocked traffic, say real estate agents who are helping more Aucklanders move south. Lodge Real Estate Director, Jeremy O’Rourke, says Hamilton is undergoing a rebirth from cow town to corporate centre, with many home buyers in the city over the last month being professionals with young families who are relocating from Auckland for a better lifestyle. “We have seen a lot of families and people fro...

Gallagher brings home manufacture of RING TOP™ range

Gallagher has brought to NZ the manufacture of its RING TOP Post range with the commissioning of two new robots at the company’s Hamilton headquarters. Two brand new hi-tech vertical moulding machines are now manufacturing Gallagher’s full range of RING TOP Posts and Offsets, bringing their production from China to NZ. Popular with dairy and cattle farmers, RING TOP Posts are part of Gallagher’s portable electric fencing range. Gallagher Research and Development Project Manager, Daniel Ext...

Double win for Taranaki Jersey Breeders

A Taranaki couple who has bred top Jersey bulls for CRV has won a prestigious award for the second year running. Taranaki Jersey breeders Bruce and Margaret Sim are leaving an impressive legacy in the national herd by winning the Jersey NZ JT Thwaites Sire of the Season award for two years running. It is the first time in the history of Jersey NZ a breeder has won the prestigious title two years in a row. The Sim’s winning sire for 2021 is GLEN LEITH QUIGLEY ET S2J and follows on from their 20...

Cannasouth to buy out cultivation and manufacturing joint venture partners

Leading medicinal cannabis company, Cannasouth Limited has today entered into two conditional agreements to acquire the balance of the stakes that it does not already own in its cultivation and manufacturing joint venture businesses. Acquisition of outstanding interest in Cannasouth Cultivation Limited Cannasouth has entered into a conditional agreement with Aaron Craig and his family interests (Craig Family Interests) to acquire the remaining 50% stake in Joint Venture business Cannasouth Culti...

Influencers – why it should be a yes

By Rosie MillerA lot has been said over the past few years regarding influencers, from the fees they command, to brands who use them to much success (or not), to the ASA’s guidelines and those who don’t toe their line. More recently, media have speculated whether Instagram is on a downward slide into boredom and over-influencing, hastened by the pandemic and the platform’s core base of millennials creeping towards middle age. Some influencers themselves are shunning their title, preferring...

Cannasouth commissions growing facility as it gears up for international exports

NZX listed medicinal cannabis company Cannasouth expects to be ready to export pharmaceutical grade cannabis flower in early 2022 after completing commissioning of its Waikato-based growing facility. Cannasouth’s joint venture partner, Cannasouth Cultivation Limited, which has developed a next generation controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sealed greenhouse has its first commercial harvest expected in December 2021. At the company’s AGM today, Cannasouth Chief Executive Mark Lucas ...

myHERD launch gives dairy farmers choice of herd recording providers

For the first time, dairy farmers have a choice of herd recording providers as CRV officially launches myHERD at Fieldays®. Today marks 12 months since myHERD went live, but to date has only been available to CRV farmer customers. It is now available to all dairy farmers.   CRV Information & IT Manager Andrew Singers says access to quality data is crucial for making smart herd management and breeding decisions. “Farmers can use the data captured on farm from herd testing, DNA testing an...

eShepherd a game-changer for livestock production

Gallagher is showcasing a virtual fencing system at Fieldays® that will revolutionise New Zealand pastoral livestock operations, helping farmers meet environmental regulations and saving them millions of dollars on traditional fencing. The development and commercial expansion of eShepherd will accelerate following this week’s announcement that Gallagher is acquiring Agersens, a leading Australian-based developer in virtual fencing technology. Gallagher first began investing in eShepherd in 20...

Front-foot it or cross fingers?

Does anyone else feel like May was crisis month?  The HMC team sure had our fair share of issues and crises come across our desks recently.  Since issues are on my mind, I thought I’d talk about one subject that comes up repeatedly when working with boards and leadership teams to manage reputational crises, in particular.  Inevitably, as reputational issues emerge, there are going to be&nbs...

Experienced agribusiness leader appointed CEO at Vetora BOP

With our agricultural industry’s animal welfare practices coming under increasing scrutiny, Vetora Bay of Plenty’s new chief executive says helping farmers look after the health and well-being of their animals is more important than ever. Andrew Reid will take over the reins at Vetora BOP veterinary club in August. He has dedicated his career to agriculture, spending nearly 30 years working in agribusiness in the greater Rotorua and BOP areas. Born and bred on a dairy farm in Whakatane, he h...

Horticulture specialist joins Perrin Ag as land use change trend continues

Perrin Ag has appointed a senior horticultural specialist, as an increasing number of land owners consider land use change to take advantage of better returns.   Dave Whalley is the agribusiness consulting firm’s newest senior consultant, whose journey in commercial horticulture began in the late 1970s when he started an orchard cadetship in Te Puke.  With a Diploma in Horticulture from Lincoln University, Dave’s diverse career in the industry has seen him gain extensive expe...

Kiwi company launches world’s first team of Jersey bulls to breed heat tolerant cows

A New Zealand company has bred the world’s first team of bulls that all carry a dominant gene certain to breed heat tolerant cows that cope better in tropical climates, ensuring milk production for countries with some of the world’s greatest deficits of protein. Thermo Regulatory Geneticshas bred a team of four homozygous Jersey bulls who all have the “Slick” gene, named because cattle who inherit the gene have very short hair and appear shiny and wet. Their lack of hair keeps them up to...

Reserve Bank predictions of housing market cooling not evident in Hamilton

Lodge Real Estate reports that the agency’s number of home sales in New Zealand’s fourth largest city, Hamilton, rose marginally during May.  As investors re-entered the market the median price in the city eased, as investors tend to buy in lower price brackets. Lodge Real Estate Managing Director, Jeremy O’Rourke, said the continued strength of Hamilton’s market created questions over claims by Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr that the housing market was cooling.  “Almost al...

Gallagher goes bananas about cows on World Milk Day

Dairy farmers Brendan and Tessa Hopson have a favourite cow who loves to eat bananas. The couple are currently 20 per cent equity partners and 25 per cent lower order sharemilking 330 cows on 108 hectares near Paeroa, where they live with their sons Toby and Ollie. Tessa says Number 115 has been a character in the shed since the couple added her to their herd a few years ago. “She’s one of our top producers and she’s super friendly. But she has a weak spot for bananas! “Her previous ow...

Purpose PR the focus of award-winning agency

Hamilton-based public relations agency, HMC, was named the winner of the BusinessDesk PR Consultancy of the Year in the small-to-medium category at Friday’s Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) annual industry awards. The agency won the same award in 2018. HMC provides strategic communications and digital marketing services to companies in a wide range of industries from agriculture, dairy genetics, real estate, medical cannabis, skincare and more. Director, Heather Claycomb, says...