A new programme launched today in Mangere aims to introduce Pacific youth to fruitful careers in New Zealand’s horticulture sector.

The Government is backing a project to support Māori landowners to invest in New Zealand’s rapidly growing sheep milk industry, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said today.

Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor has classified severe weather that left a trail of damage across the North Island as a medium-scale adverse event, unlocking further Government support for farmers and growers hit by recent storms.

The Government is partnering with Ngāti Hauā Iwi Trust to develop a horticultural programme that will empower Ngāti Hauā whānau to upskill, diversify their businesses and sustainably generate wealth from their land.

Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor has classified the severe weather that’s affected the West Coast and Top of the South as a medium-scale adverse event, unlocking Government support for farmers and growers.

Thirty-four graduate vets are being placed in rural areas, from Kaitaia in the far North to Gore in Southland, through the Government’s Voluntary Bonding Scheme for Veterinarians (VBS).

The Government is backing rural communities across New Zealand by investing in a growing number of rural community hubs.

The Government has committed an extra $600,000 in funding to support driver licensing and education programmes in rural communities across Aotearoa.

An estimated 9,000 migrants working in New Zealand’s primary industries and their families could benefit from the Government’s announced one-off, simplified pathway to residence, Agriculture and Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor said.

Further funding for feed support services and new animal welfare coordinators will help farmers who continue to feel the effects of an extended drought, says Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor.