CountryWide CONNECT

International Day Of Rural Women

Nine farms join virtual fencing trial programme

Auckland butchery wins NZ’s top sausage title


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International Day Of Rural Women
Today marks the International Day of Rural Women, established by the United Nations in 2007 to honour rural and indigenous women’s contribution to agriculture, food security and the environment.
Rural women make up about a quarter of the world’s population and nearly half of the global agricultural workforce, yet own just one in five parcels of farmland worldwide.
Here in New Zealand, women are running farms, driving trucks, treating stock as vets, and leading in paddocks and boardrooms, often balancing on-farm work with family and community commitments.
Many rural women say finding their feet in farming took time, but describe the journey as rewarding, with far more support now available than in generations past.
Tell us about a great rural woman in your life and she could win a Life and Leisure subscription.
Email connect@country-wide.co.nz.

Nine farms join virtual fencing trial programme
Nine commercial farms across the country are taking part in a new five-year programme testing virtual fencing technology under real farming conditions.
The LIFT programme, led by Pāmu, includes high country stations, Māori-owned farms and family operations from Northland to Otago
The programme is co-funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries, with results shared through field days and annual reports over the next five years.

Auckland butchery wins NZ’s top sausage title
Auckland’s Mapari Meats has been crowned Supreme Winner of the 2026 Great New Zealand Sausage Competition, for its Birria Taco sausage.
Co-owner Richard Healey says the win is five years in the making and a credit to the whole team, with judges unanimously praising the sausage’s balance of Mexican-inspired flavours, including chilli, clove and cinnamon.
A record eight hundred and sixty-nine entries were judged across thirteen categories this year.
Milford’s Well Hung Butchery took the People’s Choice Award for its Chicken, Brie and Cranberry sausage, while Westmere Butchery won the Dunninghams’ Choice Award for its Lamb Sicilian.
With summer approaching, organisers say the results give barbecue lovers a nationwide guide to some of the country’s best snags.
And who isn’t looking forward to the BBQ season!
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Tairāwhiti Whenua Charitable Trust chief executive Hilton Collier says strong red meat prices are helping farmers build resilience, but recovery is uneven and some remote families still rely on river crossings. Hilton also talks forestry’s move to permanent cover on transition-zone country, and why rural people should be able to live where they choose.

WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command ‘Play CountryWide Connect’ on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

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This episode features Toby Williams & Harriet Bremner discussing the issues affecting farmers across the country.

WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command ‘Play CountryWide Connect’ on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

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This episode features Charlie McCaig, Lift Programme Lead, Pāmu discussing the organisation’s LIFT programme and virtual fencing trials, exploring the use of technology in farm management.

WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command ‘Play CountryWide Connect’ on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881
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This episode features Professor Troy Baisden, Co-president New Zealand Association of Scientists discussing the closure of FoodHQ and reforms across the science sector.

WANT TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW LIVE (11am-1pm NZST) ON THE GO? Download CountryWide Connect mobile app to stream the show via Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Or try the voice command ‘Play CountryWide Connect’ on Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

Apple: https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/countrywide-connect/id6761033881
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.