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RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Beef farmers likely first in line for emissions-reducing livestock pill
Photo: RNZ/Susan Murray Industry-government venture AgriZero is hinting that New Zealand beef may be the first agricultural sector to gain access to tools like a new methane-reducing pill for livestock - and soon. Ruminant BioTech was developing a slow-release bolus, or pill, to be fed to livestock. Recent trials on New Zealand farms resulted in a reduction of methane emissions. It was one of AgriZero's 10 investments towards reducing agricultural emissions. AgriZero first invested $1.8 million into Ruminant BioTech's product in April 2023, followed by $4m to accelerate its commercialisation in August. Chief executive Wayne McNee said the company was planning a limited release for beef cattle, once it was approved by the regulator. "Ruminant BioTech, so likely to be the first of these products in the market. It's a bolus, many of you will have heard of, containing bromoform," he said. "The benefit of a bolus, obviously is that you can administer it once, it lasts for at least 100 days, reduces methane by 70 percent or so over that period. "And the current thinking is to probably administer one of these [boluses] to an animal during its lifetime, and you average out the benefit of that over the period of that beef animal's life." Ruminant BioTech's bolus won a protype category innovation award at Fieldays near Hamilton in June. Ruminant BioTech's bolus contained Tribromomethane (bromoform), a chemical compound that could be found in marine algae, phytoplankton or as a by-product of chlorinated drinking water. It applied to register trade names for two products, the "Calm A Cattle Bolus" in September and "Emitless" more recently in May. Department of Internal Affairs information showed Emitless was a 172g oral bolus containing 48g of Tribromomethane, and users were instructed not to use the product in cattle intended for reproduction, or cattle intended to produce milk for human consumption. Whereas, Calm A Cattle Bolus was a 165g bolus containing 36g of Tribromomethane, intended to reduce enteric methane emissions in cattle for up to 4 months. Last week, the Environmental Protection Authority said it determined that the inhibitor - containing 50-70 percent tribromomethane as the active ingredient - fit within the scope of the veterinary medicines group standard, under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (1996), and did not require an individual approval. Before the product could be used in New Zealand though, it would require registration under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act (1997), which was administered by the Ministry for Primary Industries. New Zealand Food Safety deputy director-general, Vincent Arbuckle said it had received and was assessing the application for registering Ruminant BioTech's "Emitless" product. Ruminant Bio Tech's R&D team holding boluses, designed to curb methane emissions in cattle, in front of the lab team producing a batch of boluses Photo: Supplied Arbuckle said the product was an intraruminal bolus for reducing enteric methane in cattle weighing between 350 kilograms and 450kg for up to 4 months. Would you feed your cattle emissions-reducing technologies like the bolus? Let us know ruralnews@ McNee said it expected a result from the regulator soon. "It's going through regulatory process at the moment and hoping to be available later this year or worst case early next year," he said. "Certainly by next year and over the next few years, we'll see one or two products, maybe three products come into the market each year. That's what the companies are telling us." McNee said in future, farmers will have a range of emissions-reduction tools to choose from. "If there's a productivity improvement, it may be relatively straightforward to get uptake. "But in other cases, if it's pure methane reduction, then at the end of the day, somebody's going to have to pay for that," he said. "There are a number of processors, certainly the ones that have invested in us, who are talking with companies offshore to look at the potential to provide incentives to farmers to take up those tools." Also speaking at the red meat sector conference in Christchurch this month, Dr John Roche the chief science advisor for the Prime Minister and the Ministry for Primary Industries, said progress had accelerated. "Incredibly exciting. I've sat in front of Select Committee for the last several years talking about these technologies and I kid you not, two or three years ago I was promising I'm reasonably confident they'll be here by 2030. "Two years later, I'm saying we will have a bolus that reduces methane by 70 percent in dry stock, slow release over 120 days, and it will be released either later this year or early next year," he said. "These technologies are coming fast and more of them are becoming available." Company records showed Ruminant BioTech Corp's main shareholders were Rosrain Investments, which owned 44 percent of the business. It had two company directors from New Zealand and two from Australia. Other backers included New Zealand Trustee Services, Crown Terrace Investments and New Zealand Green Investment Finance, the latter a government fund towards low-emissions projects that the government announced in April it will shut down .
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
What you need to know about why nurses are striking
Nurses held an 8-hour strike last December. A new strike is planned for 24 hours on Wednesday. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Nurses are going on strike on Wednesday. About 36,000 nurses, midwives and health care assistants will be off the job from 9am Wednesday to 9am Thursday. Last-ditch negotiations on Monday failed to reach an agreement . There will be pickets and marches throughout the country. Nurses are concerned about staffing levels and safety . The latest pay offer was also dismissed as a "massive backward step" . Health NZ is offering a 3 percent pay rise over 27 months, plus two lump sum payments of $325. NZNO's counter-offer seeks a 5 percent pay rise over two years, along with $2000 flat rate increases for senior positions. The union also seeks to restore a Tikanga Māori allowance. "The average salary for both senior and registered nurses, including overtime, PDRP allowance, and penal rates, is $125,662, Health NZ said . "Members also need a wage offer that enables them to meet the rising cost of living without them and their whānau going backwards financially for the important mahi they do," said Paul Goulter, chief executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. "We believe the offer we have made to the union is a fair one given our current financial constraints," Health NZ said. In a statement, Health New Zealand said "we are disappointed that the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is taking strike action when there is a fair offer on the table." "We are concerned about the impact strike action will have on patients who are waiting for planned care." Goulter said the latest offer from Health New Zealand ignores worries about safe staffing . "Patients are at risk because of short staffing. Nurses, midwives and health care assistants are stretched too thin and can't give patients the care they need. This is heartbreaking for our exhausted members who became health care workers because they want to help people." A safe staffing agreement was dropped from negotiations with Health New Zealand. Figures obtained by NZNO from Health New Zealand show surgical hospital wards were short-staffed more than half of all day shifts last year. Health New Zealand said in their statement it also seeks to keep nurses and patients safe. "While we are aware of NZNO's commentary in recent weeks we would like to reassure New Zealanders that Health NZ is completely committed to safe staffing. "For us safe staffing in a busy hospital environment includes the skills mix of the staff, the way care is provided, strong clinical judgement, flexibility and thoughtful decision making from our experienced leaders on the frontline. We take responsibility for operational and patient safety decisions seriously as we are accountable for the safety of patients who access our services." Paul Goulter, chief executive of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Goulter said the key issue was making sure there was enough staff to "ensure patient safety", which was "foremost in the minds of our members" during negotiations. "While, obviously, there's a wage element, we're trying to do our best to ensure we get staffing that's appropriate to meet what patients need and we seem to have come up short on that," he told RNZ recently. Negotiations began last October, but the union said bargaining had stalled over "big ticket items" centred on public safety. Nurses also walked off the job in strike in December for eight hours. "We are striking because patient safety is at risk every day due to chronic understaffing and under-resourcing," Wellington nurse Hilary Gardner said. "We simply don't have enough nurses to provide the level of care our patients need and deserve. It's not safe, and it's not fair - for patients, their whānau, or the staff trying to care for them. We've raised concerns time and time again, but nothing changes - so now we're taking action to stand up for safer care." Acute and emergency services will still be provided, including maternity care, intensive care, ambulance services and emergency departments. Patients already in hospital will still receive ongoing care. "... The public can be reassured that we have an agreement with NZNO for life preserving services support throughout the strike and our hospitals and emergency departments will remain open," Health NZ Chief Executive Dr Dale Bramley said. "To maintain patient safety, most clinics will be closed. However, if you have a hospital appointment, please come to your appointment unless we have contacted you directly to reschedule." However, most appointments for the strike days will be rescheduled. "It is estimated that 4300 planned procedures and specialist appointments would have to be postponed should the 24-hour strike action on 30 and 31 July go ahead," Dr Bramley said. Aged residential care, St John Ambulance, GPs and hospice services are not affected by the strike and will carry on as normal. Anyone unsure about whether they need emergency department care should contact their GP or call Healthline 0800 611 116 for free advice. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The union does not rule out further action if their concerns aren't met, Goulter said. "Our members have indicated this strike is just the beginning and they are in it for the long haul." "Our members don't take this action lightly. They are striking because they are exasperated with being short-staffed and their patients being put at risk because Te Whatu Ora refuses to resource safe staffing levels and instead staffs to an arbitrary budget set by the government. "The public know that when there aren't enough nurses, patients wait longer to get the care they need. Critical observations and treatments may be delayed, errors are more likely and health outcomes worsen. A lack of nurses has reduced numbers of elective surgeries for years and contributed to longer waiting times and the current backlog. "Any member of the public who has been to a hospital recently knows the reality for patients and the nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora who care for them." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Genetically-modified purple tomatoes being considered for sale
File photo. Photo: Thomas Martinsen/ Unsplash New Zealanders are being asked if they want to eat genetically-modified purple tomatoes. Food Standards Australia New Zealand said it had received an application to use and sell the fruit. It said the tomatoes contained genes from the snapdragon plant, Del and Ros1-N, that made it produce blue pigments, resulting in purple skin and flesh. "If approved, the GM Purple Tomato will be sold fresh, as a whole tomato, or used as an ingredient in processed food products such as sun-dried tomatoes or pastes," it said. "Our safety assessment found no public health or safety concerns with food derived from purple tomato lines containing event Del/Ros1-N. It is as safe as food from conventional tomato varieties." FSANZ chief executive Dr Sandra Cuthbert said it was the sixth genetically modified food being assessed through a shared process with Health Canada, which streamlined approvals. 'If approved, food from these tomato lines would need to be labelled as genetically modified under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, ensuring consumers have the information they need to make informed choices,' Dr Cuthbert said. She said the application related only to the use of the GM Purple Tomato as food in Australia and New Zealand. An application for commercial cultivation in Australia was being assessed by the Gene Technology Regulator and cultivation in New Zealand would require separate approval by the Environmental Protection Authority, she said. The importation of viable seeds into either country was subject to separate biosecurity and quarantine requirements. Public comment on the application would close on 10 September. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
