12th June 2026 // Rural News in partnership with Farmlands

ACT announces rural crime policy at Fieldays NZ Pine brand launched to lift forestry export value Fieldays Innovation Awards celebrate New Zealand agri ingenuity Rural News is in partnership with Farmlands as part of CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp - our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch / listen. ACT announces rural crime policy at Fieldays ACT is promising more police in rural areas, tougher penalties for livestock theft and armed poaching, and extended emergency text coverage for farmers with unreliable mobile connections, in a rural crime policy announced at Fieldays. The policy includes funding for an additional one-hundred-thousand police patrol hours a year in rural areas and a dedicated rural crime unit. It would also extend Text 111 eligibility to rural areas where voice calls drop out. The announcement follows Federated Farmers' latest Rural Crime Survey, which found sixty-seven percent of farmers experienced crime — up from forty-one percent in 2016.  ACT's Agriculture spokesperson Andrew Hoggard says nearly half of farmers no longer bother reporting incidents because they don't believe anything will happen, and of those who do, only fifteen percent see an offender investigated and prosecuted. Hoggard says criminals target rural people because of their isolation, and the policy is designed to remove that advantage through greater police presence, better connectivity and stronger deterrents. NZ Pine brand launched to lift forestry export value A new national brand for New Zealand radiata pine has been launched at Fieldays, with the Government and forestry sector partnering to create a single, recognisable identity for New Zealand's planted timber exports. Forestry Minister Todd McClay says the NZ Pine brand is designed to give global customers confidence in both the product and the practices behind it — meeting growing demand for transparent, sustainably sourced supply chains. The brand will be underpinned by a government-backed administrative standard overseen by MPI, defining the evidence required to substantiate its claims. It is a voluntary, industry-led framework with rollout planned for early 2027. McClay says trust adds value — and NZ Pine is designed to turn New Zealand's strengths in sustainably managed planted forests into a clear competitive advantage that lifts export earnings for the sector. Fieldays Innovation Awards celebrate New Zealand agri ingenuity Five New Zealand innovations have been recognised at the 2026 Fieldays Innovation Awards, showcasing the depth of ideas emerging from the primary sector. Wellington-based Enivo took out the Young Innovator of the Year Award for its biodegradable plant pots made from New Zealand forestry and primary industry waste.  Cambridge's Scanabull won the Prototype Award for its WeighApp, which uses three-dimensional LiDAR and artificial intelligence to deliver accurate cattle liveweights via a phone scan. Hamilton's elert won the Early-Stage Award for its wearable health monitoring device for horses, with Mosgiel's Elm Lab Skincare receiving a Highly Commended for its A2 colostrum baby lotion sourced from a single traceable dairy farm.  Waihi Beach's Trussed Systems took the Growth and Scale Award for its precision-engineered timber portal frame system, which holds patents across multiple countries. The People's Choice Award remains open until Saturday — visitors can vote at the Innovation Hub kiosk for a chance to win a five-hundred dollar voucher.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.