Associate Agriculture Minister Meka Whaitiri stated that women will play a key part in how Additional Zealanders farm in the future, and that new government support will aid them.
Meka Whaitiri said, “We’ve committed $473,261 over two years through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI’s) Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund to enable and empower women working in the dairy sector”.
“Supporting these women to reach their farming leadership potential will deliver long lasting economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits to New Zealand” she added.
“This programme aims to create more value, develop new practices and support our extremely capable rural women into the future, it will also ensure diversity in the primary sector leadership of Aotearoa NZ which I welcome,” Meka Whaitiri said.
The funds will help the Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) conduct the Farming for the Future Leaders Programme, which will activate a wrap-around service program for women. It will, for example, create training content and a common information repository, as well as provide coaching to female dairy business group leaders.
The initiative will assist DWN members in developing and implementing innovative solutions to difficulties that their farm businesses face. They’ll be able to share what they’ve learned with their larger communities as well as the 11,000 members of DWN.
Meka Whaitiri stated that “The members of the programme will create a positive impact that is far reaching, by providing channels to share solutions and innovations with their businesses, partners, farm teams, neighbours and communities”.
She added, “The Government is committed to working with regional communities to help them reach their economic and social potential”.
“These strong social connections and access to tools and support from this programme will help build resilience, both for these women and for their farming businesses,” Meka Whaitiri said.