In this week's Farmers Weekly Podcast we discuss key issues in New Zealand's food and fibre sector. The episode features insights from Neal Wallace on dairy farming innovations in the Netherlands, challenges faced by Dutch farmers, and the impact of weight loss drugs on food consumption.

Suz Bremner also provides an update on the livestock market, particularly the new season lambs, while David Birkett discusses a new code of conduct for the arable sector aimed at preventing disputes. 

The episode concludes with reflections on New Zealand's climate targets and sustainability efforts.
 
News Wrap | Navigating the future of dairy in the Netherlands 
1:35 – Senior reporter Neal Wallace, who is on a Meeting the Market tour, shares insights from his recent visit to the Netherlands, focusing on dairy farming practices, the political landscape surrounding nutrition, and the challenges faced by farmers due to government policies and technological advancements. He tells Bryan the impact of weight loss drugs on food consumption and the evolving preferences for high-quality protein in diets.
 
Market Insights | Stortford Lodge welcomes new season lambs 
9:40 – AgriHQ senior analyst Suz Bremner was at the big sale at Stortford, where the first crop of new season lambs hit the pens. She says vendors left very happy, with last season’s sky-high prices carrying over into this new season.

Feds Focus | Arable code of conduct on the way 
15:33 – Federated Farmers arable chair David Birkett gives an update on the new arable code of conduct, which has been developed to give growers and buyers more certainty around dispute resolution. David says the code will lay out who is responsible for each aspect of the process from planting, growing, and harvesting through to storage. 
 
The Final Word
23:15 – The reduction of New Zealand’s methane targets was celebrated by the farming sector, but will the world see it as a win? The reduced targets, a product of the concept of “no additional warming” might be viewed as a lack of ambition by those who buy and consume our food exports.