Each year the NZ Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators hosts events, conferences, meet-ups and briefing sessions with experts across our field.
We aim to provide our members with exceptional professional development and networking opportunities so they can stay informed about the latest happening across the agri-sector.
Join us to get notifications about our Professional Development opportunities.
Time and Date: 2pm-5pm, Friday 8 November
Venue: Ministry for Primary Industries, Wellington
Speakers:
John Caradus, CEO of Grasslanz Technology Ltd
Grasslanz Technology Ltd is a fully owned subsidiary of AgResearch. Grasslanz invests in the development of plant and microbial products and technologies for pastoral agriculture both in New Zealand and offshore. John will be speaking on improvements using genetic technologies.
Neal Wallace, Farmers Weekly senior journalist
Farmers Weekly senior journalist Neal Wallace has recently returned from a six week visit to seven of our key dairy and meat markets, seeking to understand what modern day consumers and customers want from food producers on issues such as climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, environmental management and animal welfare.
His Meeting the Market tour took him to the USA, Europe, UK, Dubai and China where he met with some of our largest meat and dairy customers, in-market representatives, political officials and industry commentators.
Neal also looked at the state of the various markets, the impact on trade of emerging nationalism since covid, visited a couple of farms, Wageningen University and the Shanghai meat market.
His stories were published in the Farmers Weekly newspaper and on its website.
Neal will provide an insight into what he learnt on his trip and provide some thoughts on what NZ farmers and NZ Inc need to do to keep pace with a fast changing world.
His trip was supported by Silver Fern Farms, Fonterra, Alliance, Rabobank, Meat Industry Association and Beef + Lamb NZ.
Dr John Roche, Chief Departmental Science Adviser, Director, On Farm Support
John was appointed Chief Science Adviser in June 2018 to provide independent and strategic science advice to the Director-General and to provide leadership in the wider ministry science areas. In August 2022, John took on the additional role of Director, On Farm Support, to establish an on-the-ground service for farmers and growers.
He is a member of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Adviser’s forum and an Honorary Academic in University of Auckland's School of Biological Sciences. John was previously DairyNZ's Principal Scientist for Animal Science and has held science appointments in Australia and Ireland. He is also Managing Director of Down to Earth Advice Ltd.
Widely published, with an H-Index of 63 and his papers cited 15,000 times, and a contributor to international science and farming conferences, John has an Honours degree in Agricultural Science, a Masters in Farm Systems and Pasture Management, and a PhD in Animal Nutrition. John also has extensive experience in drystock farming and dairy.
Glen Burrell, Director of Compliance and Response, MPI
Glen Burrell is the Director of Compliance and Response with this directorate new to Agriculture & Investment Services as of December 2022. It currently incorporates the Animal Welfare, NAIT, Strategy and Response functions. Glen joined MPI from NZ Police where he worked for 25 years predominantly in Investigations, Intelligence and Response. Including lengthy periods of time in smaller rural regions such as the Hawke’s Bay and the East Coast. Glen has worked on, and led, numerous complex investigations and significant operations. He also worked collaboratively on governance groups across both the private and public sectors, locally and internationally developing and implementing strategy. He is passionate about working with and for the community, and champions building trust and confidence through collaboration and cohesion. Glen holds post graduate qualifications in Strategy from Victoria University, and International Security from Massey University, and has an undergraduate qualification in Commercial Law and Accountancy.
It's always an interesting day, and a great opportunity to network with other members.
This event is free for members of the NZGAJC.
You can watch the videos from our past lunchtime Zoom briefing sessions on our YouTube channel.
Join us to ensure you don't miss out on future sessions.
Julian Moore, Director of Strategic Membership Solutions translates AI into practical tools you can use to elevate productivity and impact. Julian is an unabashed technology geek, has a deep understanding of the AI world and how associations can use AI to improve their operational performance and make a greater impact on the sectors they represent. Julian will give Guild members a snapshot of what's happening in AI and how we can use tools to our advantage. Download the session notes here
Mark Leslie was appointed as CEO of Pamū in 2021. Pamū is the largest pastoral farmer in Aotearoa New Zealand managing nearly 360,000ha across the motu. It exists to enhance the future of agriculture for generations of New Zealanders to come, return land under Treaty of Waitangi settlements, and produce a financial return to our government shareholders. Join us to hear from Mark about what Pamū is working on to realise its vision. Download the presentation from the session here.
Vangelis Vitalis, Deputy Secretary Trade and Economic on Global context/WTO; Free Trade Agreements and New Zealand agriculture
Marie Bradley, AgResearch’s Director of Strategy and Communications on Gene technologies, GM issues, and looking to the future
Stuart Anderson, Deputy Director-General, Biosecurity New Zealand, on Protecting our way of life
Vincent Arbuckle, Deputy Director-General, NZ Food Safety, Food safety in New Zealand
It's always an interesting day, and a great opportunity to network with other members.
This event is free for members of the NZGAJC.
You can watch the videos from our past lunchtime Zoom briefing sessions on our YouTube channel.
Join us to ensure you don't miss out on future sessions.
2023 sessions
Friday 19 May - NZGAJC chat with Hon James Shaw (Chatham House rules)
Friday 19 May - NZGAJC chat with Hon Damien O'Connor MP (Chatham House rules)
Friday 28 April - NZGAJC chat with Hon Eugenie Sage MP, Green Party MP party spokesperson for Conservation, Emergency Management, Environment, Forestry, Oceans and Fisheries (Chatham House rules)
Friday 28 April - NZGAJC chat with Nicola Grigg MP, National Party MP, Member for Selwyn, a member of the Primary Production select committee, and party spokesperson for Animal Welfare, Biosecurity, Food Safety, Rural Communities, and Women (Chatham House rules)
Thursday 23 March - Rural communities and hostile extremism with Byron C Clark, author of Fear: New Zealand's hostile underworld of extremists. Watch here.
2022 sessions
Thursday 14 April with Craig Young, CEO, TUANZ, the Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand, on tech in the agri-sector. Watch here.
Thursday 5 May with Josie Vidal, Manager, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Watch here.
Thursday 12 May with Kelly Forster, Programme Director, He Waka Eke Noa Watch here.
Thursday 19 May with Stuart Anderson, Deputy-Director General, Biosecurity New Zealand, MPI (Chatham House rules)
Thursday 9 June with Ariana Estoras, Associate Research Director Kaupapa Māori / Sector Manager Māori Agribusiness, AgResearch. Watch here.
Wednesday 16 June with Jeremy Baker, Chief Executive, Muka Tangata - the Workforce Development Council for the food and fibre sector. Watch here.
2021 sessions
Thursday 27 May with with Kevin Bryant, CEO of the New Zealand Veterinary Association. Watch here.
Thursday 19 May with James Smallwood, Managing Director CRV Oceania and Peter van Elzakker, CRV Product Development and Product Manager Oceania. Watch here.
Thursday 13 May with Vanessa Winning from Irrigation New Zealand. Watch here.
Friday 7 May with Stephen Cantwell from FMG on managing risk on farm. Watch here.
Thursday 30 April with Ant Roberts & Mike Manning Ravensdown on optimising production & maximising efficiency of nutrient use. Watch here.
Thursday 15 April with Alison Stewart, CEO of the Foundation for Arable Research. Watch here.
2020 sessions
Thursday 7 May with Sirma Karapeeva, Chief Executive of the Meat Industry Association. Watch here.
Thursday 14 May with Katie Milne, President of Federated Farmers. Watch here.
Thursday 21 May with Sam McIvor, Chief Executive of Beef + Lamb New Zealand. Watch here.
Thursday 4 June with Innes Moffat, CEO of Deer Industry New Zealand. Watch here.
Thursday 30 June Blake Holgate, Rabobank Rural Manager, Sustainable Farm Systems. Watch here.
Thursday 9 July with Andrew Hoggard, President of Federated Farmers. Watch here.
Thursday 10 September with Kay Spencer from Blue Chilli, How to shoot videos on your phone. Watch here.
Thursday 24 September with Samantha Tennent from DairyNZ on Dairy Cattle Reproductive Terminology Webinar. Watch here.