Meat wellness, well done
Newly published research shows overseas consumers have a strong interest in improving their wellbeing through eating red meat, highlighting opportunities to achieve a premium for products with proven health benefits.
The 2015 NZBIO Conference Awards has announced their winners.
The event, hosted at Te Papa, named AgResearch principal scientist, Dr Nick Roberts, as the leading biotechnologist.
Roberts is a principal scientist at AgResearch and is also the co-founder of Algenetix and chief scientific officer of ZeaKal, both of which belong to the San Diego based Kapyon Ventures.
At AgResearch he has used synthetic biology to develop an internationally recognised technology called "PhotoSeed", which increases the photosynthetic capacity of crops, delivering increases in growth, yields and stored energy in crops used for animal feeds.
The PhotoSeed technology has direct applications in ryegrass, alfalfa and soybeans. Should there be a route to market for genetically modified forages in New Zealand it is predicted the increased energy and growth rates for those crops would be transformational for the NZ pastoral industry.
Aroa Biosurgery has also been named as New Zealand's Bioscience Company of the Year and New York-based Dr Shivali Gulab has been chosen as the Young Bioscientist of the Year.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
OPINION: The new government has clearly signalled big cuts across the public service.
OPINION: Your canine crusader is not surprised by the recent news that New Zealand plant-based ‘fake meat’ business is in…