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It was bringing in a new Canterbury A&P Association (CAPA) show board, more in tune with the CAPA general committee, that has ensured that Christchurch will have a show this year, says CAPA general committee president Bryce Murray. While some details are still being finalised, the show is scheduled to go ahead at the Canterbury Agricultural Park on November 14, 15 and 16.

There is an urgent need for the Government to put a limit on the sale of farms for forestry - particularly for carbon farming. That's the plea from the Beef + Lamb New Zealand chair Kate Acland. She says the latest statistics show that since the end of 2022 more than 51,000ha of farmland has been sold to forestry interests. She says this far exceeds the 25,500ha the Climate Change Commission has recommended should be sold in any given year.

A North Canterbury farmer has been elected as the first chair of Aotearoa New Zealand Catchment Communities (ANZCC). The group has a special status as the voice for catchment groups and communities across New Zealand and has had government support to form. ANZCC hosted their inaugural AGM in September after which Ben Ensor was elected.

This year's International Dairy Federation (IDF) world summit in Paris covered innovations, best practice and responses to economic, social, geopolitical and climate crises. The common denominator was 'carbon footprint'. Jean-Michel Javelle, president of French dairy co-operative, Sodiaal, said no agribusiness company or leader could now imagine building their operations or a strategy without "resilient supply chains".

Can discarded beef skins become premium dog food? Would camel milk work for your morning flat white? These are just two of the questions that will be answered next week at an international conference in Palmerston North. Food scientists from around the globe will be heading to Massey University in Palmerston North from November 12-15 for the 17th International Hydrocolloids Conference. It is the first time the top-level food science conference has been held in New Zealand in its 32-year history.

Meat The Need, New Zealand’s dedicated charity delivering locally sourced protein meals to food-insecure communities, is launching an online National Charity Auction. This year’s campaign will go live on TradeMe on the evening of Thursday, November 7, and run for 10 days, inviting Kiwis from across the country to participate in making a meaningful difference to help feed families doing it tough.

The turmoil and challenges faced by the kiwifruit industry in the past 30 years were put to one side but not forgotten at a glitzy night for 400 kiwifruit growers and guests in Mt Maunganui recently. The occasion was to celebrate major milestones and achievements in the history of their sector: the 30th anniversary of the formation of the NZ Kiwifruit Growers group (NZKGI), the 35th anniversary of the single desk structure which underpins industry success and the 25th anniversary of Zespri's commercial operations.

The Government's passing of new freshwater management laws has been welcomed by farmers, but could cause some councils a headache. Late last month, the Government’s Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill passed its third reading through Parliament.

Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Vanessa Winning is stepping down after four years in the role. The search for her replacement is underway and IrrigationNZ has advertised the vacancy. 

Apples and pears growers, targeting $2 billion in revenue by 2035, are banking on the support of local and central government. The country's 288 export growers exported $892 million worth of apples and pears in 2023, compared to $347m in 2012, outstripping national export growth.