Editor’s Note

Balancing the books while costs spiral and prices plunge is going to put lots of farmers under pressure.

It is somewhat a homecoming for me to don the Editor’s hat for Country-Wide.

Passing the baton to the next generation.

We asked Country-Wide readers who they thought had done the best job as Primary Industries or Agriculture Minister over recent decades. The results are in, with Nathan Guy just edging out Lockwood Smith as preferred Ag Minister.

Based on their performance, we want to know who you think was the best - past or present - NZ agriculture (and primary industries) minister.

Back in 2017 Prime Minister Jacinda Arden promised New Zealand’s most open and transparent Government. What NZ got over the next six years was the most money spent on communication staff, media minders and spin doctors.

Companies and organisations that have been so focused on conforming to identity politics are now waking up to economic reality. They are focusing on costs and the true customer.

Global and internal events may be hurting New Zealand agriculture, but the outlook for beef remains strong.

Who’d want to be a farmer? Drought, floods, disease, falling prices, rising costs and overbearing government regulation would crush many, but farmers are a hardy bunch.

You don't have to look far for gloom and doom, but there are plenty of positives out there too.