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Budget 2018 invests in projects to build sustainability, productivity and resilience across the primary sector as the Government works alongside farmers and rural communities to provide leadership on some of New Zealand’s most pressing issues, say Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Climate Change Minister James Shaw.

Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor says a top-level meeting with farming leaders about Mycoplasma bovis focused on helping farmers through the next few weeks.

A proposal for a national organic standard is to be consulted on from today, says Agriculture and Food Safety Minister Damien O’Connor.  

An all-day hui, to discuss the priorities of the country’s animal welfare groups, has been called for next month by the Associate Minister of Agriculture the Hon Meka Whaitiri.  

An inclusive and comprehensive review of dairy industry legislation will help our biggest export sector get in shape for the future, says Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Climate Change Minister James Shaw are pleased to announce the first successful candidates of a New Zealand-funded international doctorate scholarship programme for budding agriculture scientists.

I welcome the announcement of the Primary Sector Council by Minister O’Connor today, says Associate Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor heads to Brisbane today to meet with his Australian Government counterparts.

A group of visionary agribusiness leaders is set to help our primary sector capture more value from its work, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Communities Damien O’Connor says.

Speech to the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific in Nadi, Fiji.

Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor is calling on farmers and industry to read a report reviewing the performance of the animal tracing system NAIT. 

Cabinet has approved a raft of new regulations to strengthen our animal welfare system, says Associate Minister of Agriculture responsible for animal welfare Hon Meka Whaitiri.

Culling of all cattle infected with Mycoplasma bovis will give farmers much-needed certainty over their futures, says Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor.

Minister of Agriculture and Biosecurity Damien O’Connor has today announced an intensive programme to track cattle movements across Cook Strait to help control the further spread of cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis.

Tēnā koutou katoa, and thank you to the New Zealand Animal Law Association for the opportunity to speak at this event.

Establishing cellphone services for Minginui will support the scaling up of the Minginui nursery owned by Ngāti Whare Holdings, from commercial to industrial size for the production of native forestry grade seedlings, Associate Minister of Agriculture, Hon Meka Whaitiri announced today.

The number of bobby calves that die between the farm gate and the works is now down to 6 calves for every 10,000 and that is a victory for our animal welfare regulations, says the Associate Minister of Agriculture responsible for Animal Welfare Hon Meka Whaitiri.

Minister of Agriculture and Biosecurity Damien O’Connor today welcomed a joint Government and industry commitment to funding the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak response. 

There are no plans to ban rodeos in New Zealand says Hon Meka Whaitiri, Associate Minister of Agriculture, responsible for animal welfare.

Minister for Agriculture and Rural Communities Damien O’Connor today announced that the damage wrought by former Cyclone Gita in Taranaki and parts of the Tasman district meets the criteria for medium-scale adverse event classification. 

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has welcomed survey results that show many Kiwis – both urban and rural – hold a similar and positive view of the primary sector. 

Māori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced that two dairy farming operations from Rotorua and the South Island’s West Coast are the finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy BNZ Māori Excellence in Farming Award for dairy.

Rain has brought relief to some drought-affected regions but farmers need to carefully review their feed budgets and plans for winter, says Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor.  

Provisions to manage Fonterra’s dominant position in New Zealand’s dairy markets will continue under changes to the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2001 (DIRA).