Blue Shed Diary

Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for farmers and growers. Not only do you have a lot of jobs on the farm, but you also may want to squeeze in some time for relaxing, too! So, it is understandable if you're tempted to cut a few corners to get the job done.But accidents have consequences—from lost revenue to lost lives—so prevention is key! Working to improve health and safety in the primary sector is Safer Farms. Joining the conversation now is Safer Farms Chair, Lindy Nelson.

By the end of March 2026, the nation's 3G network will be gone. Bit by bit, region by region, One NZ, Spark, and 2Degrees are shutting down their networks. While few in the urban centres will even notice, many rural communities will feel the pain. Joining the conversation to discuss 3G's demise and how to prepare for it is CEO of TUANZ (Tech Users Association of NZ) Craig Young.

Our horticulture industry reached a new milestone this year - nearly $8.5 BILLION in exports. An impressive feat considering a decade ago the sector had a major problem on its hands. Resistance. The sector's response? Lean in. With consumers wanting sustainably grown food free from as many ag-chem products as possible, and willing to pay a premium, the industry decided collaboration would be a better idea. Working across horticulture, arable and wine, a new programme was created to support growers as they shifted away from agri-chemicals to biologicals and integrated pest management. Together, they created 'A Lighter Touch' programme - a seven-year, $27 million programme funded by government and industry. Now, five years in, A Lighter Touch is seeing incredible results. Joining the conversation is Programme Director Livia Esterhazy.

Many farmers and growers, looking to diversify their income, are exploring agritourism. From sleeping huts and hunting to walking trails and cheese making, more and more in the primary sector are seeing how they can introduce tourism into their operation. But is getting into agritourism as simple as throwing up a sleeping hut on the back blocks and putting up a website?In a word: No. One woman is helping our primary producers unlock their tourism potential: Marijke Dunselman, leader of the industry body Agritourism New Zealand joins the conversation.

In July, the EPA aka Environmental Protection Authority announced a ban on the insecticide – chlorpyrifos. It has been the primary weapon against pests like grass grub, nysius, and Argentine Stem weevil but it was also dangerous to everything and everyone around it. So, what can farmers and growers do for pest control now that Chlorpyrifos is banned. For those answers we turn toPGG Wrightson Technical Specialist for Agronomy Joseph Watts.

Let's talk about poo. Specifically, sheep poo and why our next guest is asking farmers to send it in the mail. Why?Facial Eczema. To get an understanding of how FE impacts New Zealand, the woman behind this study is principal scientist at Beef & Lamb NZ, Dr Cara Brosnahan.

Nearly half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture – methane and nitrous oxide. On a strictly per capita basis, we have the highest methane emissions in the world. In 2019, as part of the zero-carbon act, targets were set to reduce these biogenic methane emissions by 24 to 27 percent by the year 2050, but now the Government has announced a reduction in those targets to 14 to 24 percent. Many from the primary industry welcomed this change, while others say these new lower targets will make it harder for New Zealand to meet its climate change obligations andpotentially affect the sector’s trading viability internationally. Given the impact these decisions have on the primary sector, the Blue Shed Diary is getting perspectives from two different professors.Joining the conversation is James Renwick, Professor of Physical Geography at Victoria University Wellington and Climate Change Commissioner from 2019 to 2024. Heis one of the voices raising concerns about the Government's latest move.

PGG Wrightson recently published our Sustainability Report and Climate Statement in which we lay out the activities of PGG Wrightson over the last year to become more sustainable and reduce our climate impact. At the helm of this report and PGG Wrightson’s Sustainability Programme is ourSustainability Manager, Michael Anderson. He joins the conversation now.

PGG Wrightson’s history extends all the way back to the 1840's when Nathaniel Levin established Levin & Co in Wellington. Since then, the company we now know has had many names and we would be surprised if there is a single farmer orgrower in New Zealand’s history who has not interacted with some form of PGG Wrightson. Big changes and consolidations in the 1990s set the stage for the PGG Wrightson of today. In 2005, Pyne Gould Guinness merged with Wrightson Ltd to become PGW. This October, we are celebrating our 20th birthday and 20 years of supporting and supplying our primary sectors.Joining the conversation and to help us to celebrate this momentous occasion is PGG Wrightson Chief ExecutiveStephen Guerin.

It is September and that means the Cash for Communities programme is open. PGG Wrightson, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, and selected agchem suppliers donate $1 for every tonne of qualifying fertiliser or 10 litres of agchem products between September and November to charity. PGG Wrightson customers nominate their preferred charities, and since the start of the programme in 2011, we have given away hundreds of thousands of dollars to rural charities and groups. This year, with your help, we are on track to hit an important milestone: $1 million! These donations make a huge difference to our communities and the work they do. One of the recipients of the Cash for Communities programme is the Rural Support Trust who work with farmers and growers across the country. Joining the conversation, is Jonathan Bell, Hawkes Bay Area Coordinator for the Rural Support Trust.You can take part in Cash for Communities at PGG Wrightson. from now, until the end of November. For every tonne of qualifying fertiliser or 10 litres of select agchem products purchased, $1 goes to the Cash for Communities programme. If you have a charity you would like to nominate, head to www.cashforcommunities.co.nz for a nomination form and list of qualifying products.

People around the world love to drink our wine. An impressive statistic from New Zealand winegrowers shows just how much: 81 glasses of New Zealand wine were purchased every second last year. Wine is a billion-dollar industry for Aotearoa and is a huge part of our Primary Sector. Advocating for this industry in New Zealand Winegrowers - the national organisation for our country's grape and wine sector. Joining the conversation has been at its helm since its inception 2002, New Zealand Winegrowers CEO Philip Gregan.

Horticulture is a major part of our primary sector. With over 4,000 growers and industry value of over $7.5B, the fruits and vegetables we grow in New Zealand are enjoyed here and around the world. But like the rest of the primary industry, growers face challenges bringing their product tomarket. Joining the conversation is Kate Scott, Horticulture New Zealand CEO who is helping our growers negotiate these challenges.

To celebrate Biosecurity Awareness Month, Blue Shed Diary is talking to the people charged with keeping New Zealand safe from pests and disease. Agrichemicals are one of the tools in the tool chest, but what happens when one of those tools is gone? What goes into that decision? And how do we get new tools in our toolboxes?Joining the conversation is Dr Shaun Presow of the Environmental Protection Authority. He is the Manager of Reassessments and Acting Manager of Hazardous Substances Applications.