- Marlborough winemaker creates alcohol-free Sauvignon Blanc
Giesen wines says its the world's first alcohol-removed Sauvignon Blanc.
- 2 days ago, 21 Feb 20, 3:20am - - Fonterra helps transport water to drought-hit Far North towns
The dairy co-operative's tankers are heading to Far North towns with water and returning with milk collected from nearby farms.
- 2 days ago, 20 Feb 20, 11:13pm - - Heat and coronavirus putting pressure on meat industry
Meat processor Silver Fern Farms says trade disruptions in China, combined with dry conditions across New Zealand, have created a perfect storm for the sector.
- 3 days ago, 20 Feb 20, 3:56am - - Dairy farm sales slump and median farm price drops
Compliance costs, labour shortages and tightening credit contributed to a fall in dairy farm sales, a Real Estate Institute spokesperson said.
- 3 days ago, 19 Feb 20, 9:48pm - - LIC makes $109m bid for similar agri tech business in Israel
A cutting-edge agri tech company in New Zealand wants to buy global brand Afimilk.
- 4 days ago, 18 Feb 20, 11:39pm - - Wild rabbit sellers say cost of audits driving them out of business
Those trying to make a living from selling wild rabbits to restaurants and for pet food say they are being driven out of business by high compliance costs.
- 4 days ago, 18 Feb 20, 11:16pm - - Dairy prices fall as coronavirus outbreak takes toll on trade
The average price at the overnight auction fell by almost 3 percent to $US3176 a tonne, after a 4.7 percent fall two weeks ago.
- 4 days ago, 18 Feb 20, 10:46pm - - Pea weevil eradication believed to be world first
The pea weevil has been declared eradicated four years after it was first discovered in the Wairarapa, in what is thought to be a world first.
- 5 days ago, 17 Feb 20, 10:28pm - - Ministry for Primary Industry's raw milk raids still rub farmer the wrong way
It's a familiar tale of small town New Zealand versus a government rulebook, and both of them refusing to blink. And all for a bit of raw milk.
- 5 days ago, 17 Feb 20, 10:14pm - - Vineyard trialling native plants as herbicide alternative
A commercial vineyard is investigating planting native plants and cover crops under vines as an alternative to spraying herbicides on the area.
- 6 days ago, 17 Feb 20, 2:22am - - The Garden of Eatin
Country Life: Ross Nolly is a former butcher turned writer and photographer who, among other things, farms maggots on his property near Stratford in Taranaki.
- 8 days ago, 14 Feb 20, 7:30pm - - Farmers in Waikato hope for rain as extreme dry takes hold
Farmers in parts of Waikato are looking skyward hoping at least 100 millimetres of rain will fall within the next fortnight as an extreme dry takes hold in the region.
- 10 days ago, 12 Feb 20, 10:17pm - - Southern Field Days expected to draw 40,000 despite floods
Despite recent flooding, farmers are expected to flock to Southern Field Days starting at Waimumu near Gore today.
- 11 days ago, 12 Feb 20, 6:21am - - China bound: Forestry companies restart log harvesting
The Forest Owners Association says despite a significant slump in prices, logs bound for China are starting to be harvested again by many large forestry companies.
- 11 days ago, 12 Feb 20, 5:33am - - Some weather events 'impossible to plan for' - Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor
Damien O'Connor is confident Northland farmers and growers will survive a record-breaking drought.
- 11 days ago, 11 Feb 20, 11:27pm - - Northland drought conditions classified 'adverse event' by government
The drought conditions in Northland have been classified as an "adverse event" for the primary sector, meaning government funding can be accessed to help out farmers.
- 12 days ago, 11 Feb 20, 4:21am - - 'Help these Southland people out': Food drive organised for flood-hit farmers
It's estimated hundreds of farms in Southland have been affected by recent flooding. It's expected to take months to recover and a food drive's being organised to help out.
- 12 days ago, 11 Feb 20, 3:56am - - Southland floods: Call for 'farmy army' to help clean-up farms
Volunteers are being called upon to join a 'farmy army' to help desperate farmers in their clean-up efforts in the flood-stricken Gore and Mataura.
- 15 days ago, 7 Feb 20, 10:41pm - - Dairy NZ says flooding causing a dire situation for farmers
More than 100 Southland farms have been seriously impacted by flooding.
- 18 days ago, 5 Feb 20, 2:46am - - Crayfish to be returned to ocean after China cancels orders
A huge haul of crayfish could be released back into the ocean because China cancelled orders amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
- 18 days ago, 5 Feb 20, 1:55am -
- What New Zealand could learn from the Cuban agricultural revolution
After the collapse of the Soviet bloc, Cuba embarked on a rapid reorientation of its agricultural system to a self-sustaining, biointensive and essentially organic model.
- 24 days ago, 30 Jan 20, 6:10am - - Fonterra to stop using coal at Te Awamutu dairy plant
Fonterra will stop using coal to fuel the milk processing boiler at its Te Awamutu dairy plant next season.
- 24 days ago, 29 Jan 20, 8:59pm - - Waikato farmers 'prepared' for dry spell but some crops suffering
Farmers in Waikato and South Auckland are increasingly worried by the drought-like conditions.
- 25 days ago, 29 Jan 20, 5:42am - - Cherry growers hit by second tough season in a row
Central Otago cherry growers' yields were about half the normal size this season due to poor weather conditions.
- 26 days ago, 28 Jan 20, 2:55am - - 'Corporate farms are almost as bad as Communism' - veteran farmer
The times are a-changing for a Southland farming family after more than a century of owning the same sheep farm.
- 26 days ago, 28 Jan 20, 1:40am - - Drought may be on the way for Northland, but farmers are getting better at preparing
Facing a potential drought, farmers in Northland are increasingly worried about water and stock feed levels, with no heavy rain forecast for the next few months.
- 27 days ago, 26 Jan 20, 11:34pm - - Synlait increases forecast milk payout
The dairy company has increased its forecast payout for the current production of milk solids to $7.25 a kilogram, up from $7.
- 27 days ago, 26 Jan 20, 10:02pm - - Renewed call for easier trade in agriculture welcomed in NZ
A veteran trade lobby group emerged from hibernation in Switzerland last week to renew the call for easier trade in agriculture.
- 29 days ago, 25 Jan 20, 7:44am - - Total ban on livestock exports could threaten NZ's trade - Fed Farmers
Federated Farmers is warning a ban on live exports would cut off an income stream to thousands of New Zealand farmers.
- 30 days ago, 24 Jan 20, 4:37am - - Hawke's Bay farmers pay $100k for deer velvet breeding stag
Hawke's Bay deer farmers have paid a record price for a velvet breeding stag.
- 32 days ago, 22 Jan 20, 5:10am - - Marlborough dairy farmer fears logging operation will destroy property
A recently widowed Marlborough dairy farmer says a logging operation that has sprung up on a neighbouring property is likely to destroy her farm.
- 32 days ago, 22 Jan 20, 12:00am - - Farmers pay $15k for super-breeder ram
Two sheep breeders in Southland have paid a whopping $15,500 for a Perendale ram at a stock sale in Gore.
- 32 days ago, 21 Jan 20, 11:35pm - - About half of Mycoplasma bovis-infected properties are beef farms
Figures released by MPI show since the first detection of Mycoplasma bovis 220 farms have been confirmed as having the disease. Of those infected properties, 118 are beef farms.
- 32 days ago, 21 Jan 20, 11:00pm - - Dairy prices rise in latest auction
Prices have risen in the global dairy auction overnight.
- 32 days ago, 21 Jan 20, 6:53pm - - Dry heat in Northland worries farmers already hit by dry winter
Farmers in Northland are becoming increasingly worried about water and feed reserves, as the region tracks toward a drought, they say.
- 33 days ago, 21 Jan 20, 5:52am - - Project aims to give vineyard managers more information in a hail storm
Researchers are working to fill the information gap for winegrowers hit by extreme weather events.
- 33 days ago, 20 Jan 20, 11:56pm - - Farmers, wildlife and residents alike face water shortages as regions dry up fast
Water cuts are looming in pockets of the country drying up without significant rainfall in sight, as Northland kiwi face starvation because of parched land.
- 33 days ago, 20 Jan 20, 8:02pm - - Minister Damien O'Connor monitors dry conditions in fear of drought in regions
Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor says he's keeping a close eye on dry conditions around the country.
- 34 days ago, 19 Jan 20, 9:51pm - - Salmon farm submissions not giving full picture, campaigner says
A conservationist is concerned a third of submissions about an open-ocean salmon farm managed to "disappear" from a council website.
- 35 days ago, 19 Jan 20, 4:19am - - Auckland Island pigs: 'It's a big call to eradicate them'
The Department of Conservation's efforts to cull Auckland Island pigs are being labelled a crime against humanity by the Rare Breeds Conservation Society.
- 37 days ago, 16 Jan 20, 10:46pm - - Battlelines drawn as council backs latest dam project
Greater Wellington Regional Council is heralding a controversial dam project for Wairarapa as necessary protection against the threat of climate change.
- 38 days ago, 15 Jan 20, 9:19pm - - Avocado growers prepared in case of summer drought
The soil in the top three-quarters of the country has become dry in the past week, Niwa says.
- 42 days ago, 12 Jan 20, 4:04am - - Northland 'on the cusp' of drought with record low rainfall and no significant rain forecast
Record low rainfall in Northland has the region on the brink of drought, and some farmers face making a loss as summer feed crops fail. There's no significant rain in the forecast, either.
- 44 days ago, 9 Jan 20, 10:40pm - - Farmer fears M bovis back on property despite culling of 1700 cattle
A Southland farmer is concerned the Mycoplasma bovis disease could be back on his farm, 18 months after his previous cattle herd had to be culled.
- 48 days ago, 6 Jan 20, 6:06am - - Farm sales slump in the dairy sector
New figures from the Real Estate Institute show farms sales in the year to November are down nearly 13 percent on the year prior, largely driven by a sale slump in the dairy sector.
- 62 days ago, 22 Dec 19, 11:18pm - - Big fall in dairy prices in global auction
Dairy prices fell 5.1 percent in the overnight global auction in the first significant fall since August.
- 67 days ago, 17 Dec 19, 6:23pm - - Fresh melon imports suspended after fruit disease found
Biosecurity New Zealand has suspended fresh melon imports from Queensland after an unwanted fruit disease was detected at the border.
- 68 days ago, 17 Dec 19, 3:53am - - Primary exports to reach $48bn in 2020 - MPI
Primary sector exports are forecast to lift more than 3 percent, according to the Ministry for Primary Industries' latest quarterly situation and outlook report.
- 69 days ago, 16 Dec 19, 12:38am - - Expert sees apple varieties blossom and fade over time
John Wilton starts each day with an apple - and after 57 years in the industry he know which ones to choose.
- 71 days ago, 14 Dec 19, 4:22am - - Otago institutions work to create virtual centre for rural health education
Three Otago institutions are teaming up to improve the future of rural health care.
- 72 days ago, 13 Dec 19, 1:01am - - Flooding forces artificial breeding company to courier bull semen by plane
Flooding in the South Island has prompted New Zealand's largest artificial breeding company to fly-in bull semen to some farms.
- 74 days ago, 11 Dec 19, 2:30am - - Farmer confidence lifts but still at negative level
Rising commodity prices have helped drive a rebound in farmer confidence.
- 74 days ago, 11 Dec 19, 12:35am - - Negotiations to protect NZ's $2b meat trade to the UK, EU set to continue
Hard negotiations are expected to continue into next year to try to preserve existing arrangements for the meat trade - worth more than $2 billion a year - with Britain and the European Union.
- 74 days ago, 10 Dec 19, 6:58pm - - New scientific research to measure changes of carbon in soil
A long-term research programme has been commissioned to check if carbon levels in New Zealand soils are increasing or decreasing.
- 75 days ago, 10 Dec 19, 1:04am - - A2 Milk chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka resigns
More than a billion dollars has wiped off the value of New Zealand's biggest company this morning following the surprise resignation of A2 Milk's chief executive.
- 76 days ago, 8 Dec 19, 10:02pm - - Standing apart - striped dairy cows easy to spot
Country Life - Lakenvelders are Opunake farmer Andy Whitehead's favourite cattle and are easily picked out - by night they look as if they've been draped in a blanket.
- 78 days ago, 6 Dec 19, 8:54pm - - Imported insect predator to help bees and willow trees to thrive
Beekeepers are keenly awaiting the arrival of a tiny insect from California which preys on the giant willow aphid.
- 79 days ago, 6 Dec 19, 12:53am - - Sustainable farming advice programme wins gov investment
The government is investing up to $9 million in a project that it says will help Southland farmers use their land more sustainably.
- 79 days ago, 5 Dec 19, 11:30pm - - Help may be on the way for farmers struggling with Farm Environment Plans
The PM has hinted that next year's budget might contain financial support for farmers struggling to develop a Farm Environment Plan.
- 80 days ago, 5 Dec 19, 5:28am - - Fonterra raises milk solids farmgate price
Fonterra has raised the midpoint of its 2019-2020 forecast farmgate milk price range by 25 cents to $7.30 per kilo of milk solids.
- 80 days ago, 4 Dec 19, 9:54pm -
