4th June 2026 // Rural News in partnership with Farmlands

US tariff threat adds uncertainty for agricultural exporters EPA clears application backlog for hazardous substances Generation Next marks ten years of shaping rural leaders 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.   US tariff threat adds uncertainty for agricultural exporters New Zealand's agricultural exporters are facing fresh trade uncertainty after the United States proposed a twelve-point-five percent tariff on New Zealand goods — the latest in a series of trade pressures hitting the sector this year. The tariff, framed by Washington as a response to forced labour practices, has been rejected by Trade Minister Todd McClay, who says New Zealand has no forced labour and the move is simply an attempt to find a legal basis to reimpose tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court earlier this year. For meat, dairy, kiwifruit and wine exporters, the uncertainty compounds an already difficult US trade environment. A separate investigation into New Zealand and Australian lamb imports is also underway. McClay says exports to the US are still running four percent above last year — but acknowledges it's the constantly shifting tariff landscape, as much as the rates themselves, that is the real problem for businesses trying to plan ahead.   EPA clears application backlog for hazardous substances Farmers and growers waiting on new agricultural products to be approved are seeing faster results, with the Environmental Protection Authority continuing to clear its hazardous substances application backlog. The EPA has been processing applications faster than new ones are arriving — and has done so for five quarters in a row. There are now seventy-four applications awaiting assessment — down twenty-three percent from ninety-six a year ago and the lowest level since 2022. Among recent approvals, a new agricultural herbicide was cleared this quarter, with another complex application due for decision in the coming weeks. The EPA says it is on track to introduce nine active chemicals new to New Zealand this financial year. General Manager Dr Fernando Torres-Vélez says the agency is increasingly using international regulator assessments to speed up the process, with six applications approved through that pathway this quarter alone.   Generation Next marks ten years of shaping rural leaders Beef and Lamb New Zealand's Generation Next programme is celebrating a decade of developing young sheep and beef farmers, with five-hundred-and-forty-four graduates now working across the industry and a further ninety-three expected to complete this year. The programme began in Southland in 2016 with a simple idea — give young farmers the skills, confidence and networks to succeed. It has since expanded nationwide, covering four workshops over six months across business management, people leadership and industry knowledge. It is free for levy payers working in drystock farming. National Programme Manager and founder Olivia Weatherburn says the biggest success has been watching people grow across all three areas — skills, confidence and connections — with many graduates going on to step into leadership roles across the wider industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.