- Tomatoes among crops driving increase in produce prices
The cost of fruit and vegetables rose nearly 9 percent last year, driven by high prices for potatoes, courgettes and tomatoes.
- 22 hours ago, 15 Jan 21, 2:11am - - Southland shearer Megan Whitehead wins women's world record
Southland shearer Megan Whitehead has broken the women's world record for shearing the most number of lambs in nine hours.
- 2 days ago, 14 Jan 21, 7:27am - - Heavy rain damages cherry crop
Heavy rain over New Year's in Central Otago created cherries so juicy that many of them burst.
- 4 days ago, 11 Jan 21, 8:30pm - - Rural lobby group wants cheques until broadband rollout completed
Some rural communities fear the phasing out of cheques this year is coming too fast, too soon.
- 5 days ago, 10 Jan 21, 10:03pm - - Two die in vehicle-related incidents on farms
Two people were killed in farm accidents yesterday.
- 6 days ago, 9 Jan 21, 10:12pm - - Milk that lasts 60 days expected to be in Queensland stores by March
The founder of a Queensland food technology company that has invented a process to keep natural milk fresh for 60 days expects consumers will be drinking the product by March.
- 7 days ago, 9 Jan 21, 6:14am - - House calls: Doctor tackles farmer health face to face
A doctor is asking farmers to pay more attention to their own health to prevent serious problems such as heart attacks and mental breakdowns.
- 8 days ago, 8 Jan 21, 1:38am - - Dairy prices up 3.9% in global auction
Dairy prices increased 3.9 percent across the board in the first global auction of the year.
- 10 days ago, 6 Jan 21, 2:15am - - Waitaki District flooding: Clean-up underway
Farmers in the Waitaki District, which was inundated with heavy rain at the weekend, remain in clean-up mode today.
- 11 days ago, 4 Jan 21, 8:15pm - - Farming company adapts technology for Covid-19 sanitation
Saflex Pumps uses a spray technology to keep dairy cow teats clean before milking - but innovation means it can become a Covid-19 sanitiser.
- 14 days ago, 2 Jan 21, 4:22am - - Farmers urged to have good stock welfare plans
The government spent $19 million in 2020 on rural communities affected by drought.
- 15 days ago, 1 Jan 21, 4:02am - - Dairy sector pushing for export tariffs removal
The dairy industry wants export tariffs scrapped as it tries to get the best bang for its buck overseas - and doesn't think the new post-Brexit trade deal will help.
- 17 days ago, 29 Dec 20, 7:52pm - - Brexit: UK-EU deal hurts New Zealand exporters, says Beef and Lamb
The meat industry is urging the government to fight new quotas for local exporters as part of new trade deal between the UK and European Union.
- 18 days ago, 29 Dec 20, 1:27am - - Tasman growers and farmers brace for lasting impact of hailstorm
Farmers and growers are counting the cost - thought to be in the tens of millions of dollars - of the Boxing Day hailstorm in Tasman.
- 18 days ago, 28 Dec 20, 11:18pm - - Some Motueka fruit growers lose entire crop in hailstorm
A Motueka fruit growers association says the millions of dollars worth of fruit that is ruined following a devastating hail storm that hit the Nelson region yesterday is a bitter pill to swallow.
- 20 days ago, 27 Dec 20, 3:55am - - A2 Milk in trading halt
Glamour hot-stock A2 Milk is on a trading halt as it looks at previous earnings forecasts.
- 30 days ago, 17 Dec 20, 2:11am - - Dairy prices see strong gains
Dairy prices have hit their highest level in 11 months in the global auction overnight.
- 31 days ago, 15 Dec 20, 11:45pm - - Agriculture minister warned of impact of Covid-19 on industry's future
The minister of agriculture has been has warned the primary sector faces strong headwinds as the impact of Covid-19 lingers.
- 32 days ago, 15 Dec 20, 6:25am - - Northland freight chaos often replicated overseas, exporters say
The freight chaos that has plagued Northland is often replicated overseas, according to exporters.
- 33 days ago, 13 Dec 20, 6:05pm - - Family business sowing the seeds of success
Country Life: Rangiora's Luisetti Seeds' warehouses, seed clearing facilities and silos are a constant reminder to locals of the town's long agricultural history.
- 35 days ago, 12 Dec 20, 12:25am -
- Farmers organise berry festival after annual Strawberry Fare cancelled
Waimate berry growers have banded together to host a berry festival today after the annual Strawberry Fare was cancelled due to Covid-19.
- 35 days ago, 11 Dec 20, 11:01pm - - Buoying the spirit of Tokomaru Bay
Country Life: Work has finally started to restore an old wharf at Tokomaru Bay on the East Cape. A committed band of locals has been working for years to raise money for the rebuild.
- 35 days ago, 11 Dec 20, 6:37pm - - Tourism Australia campaign pitches horticulture and hospitality work to Kiwis
A new advertising campaign to lure New Zealanders to Australia to help pick fruit and vegetables is the latest attempt to try to offset a potential labour shortage crisis for Australian farmers.
- 36 days ago, 10 Dec 20, 10:50pm - - Freshwater reforms may stifle farm profitability by 83% per year - report
Farm profitability across the Ashburton District is expected to decline 83 percent per year due to the government's freshwater reforms, a new report states.
- 37 days ago, 10 Dec 20, 2:25am - - Myrtle rust infection kills mature tree on East Cape
The first known case of mature tree death due to myrtle rust infection had been observed in New Zealand, on the North Island's East Cape.
- 38 days ago, 9 Dec 20, 2:19am - - Fruit picking's fresh faces: 'It's a good way to motivate myself'
Central Otago orchard owners say the push for workers is not over as they prepare for harvest season.
- 39 days ago, 8 Dec 20, 6:52am - - Demand lifts PGG Wrightson's profit guidance
Rising demand and business across the agricultural sector has prompted the rural services company PGG Wrightson to lift its profit guidance for the second time in less then two months.
- 39 days ago, 7 Dec 20, 11:31pm - - Farmer confidence improves as demand increases
Farmer confidence has risen to its highest level since late 2019, according to Rabobank's latest quarterly rural confidence survey.
- 39 days ago, 7 Dec 20, 11:09pm - - Pest that targets several vegetables, roses here to stay
The Ministry for Primary Industries says it's unlikely a plant pest recently detected in New Zealand will be able to be eradicated.
- 39 days ago, 7 Dec 20, 8:47pm - - Southland Rural Support Trust eager to get farmers on board surf initiative
Southland Rural Support Trust is asking farmers to spare a few hours and join others in testing out the waves.
- 39 days ago, 7 Dec 20, 7:46pm - - Lack of NZ workers an issue for orchardists with Covid restrictions
An apple exporter in the Hawke's Bay has told the government an advertising campaign to attract 300 New Zealand workers received more than 200 applications, but only 55 people got jobs.
- 40 days ago, 6 Dec 20, 10:33pm - - New Zealand farmers prepare to export 'best cannabis in the world'
Sun, sea and soil: these are the key ingredients for growing New Zealand's largest-ever medical cannabis crop.
- 40 days ago, 6 Dec 20, 9:19pm - - Global dairy demand boosts Fonterra milk price forecast
Fonterra has increased its forecast farmgate milk price following strong demand for dairy products.
- 43 days ago, 3 Dec 20, 9:16pm - - One-stop information shop on New Zealand pests: 'It has been a huge undertaking'
The Ministry for Primary Industries has unveiled a new website which contains information about no fewer than 24,000 pests.
- 44 days ago, 3 Dec 20, 6:55am - - Zespri aiming for Crown research partnership to develop new kiwifruit varieties
The proposed centre would be dedicated to breeding new kiwifruit cultivars, creating healthier, better tasting and more sustainability-focused varieties to fulfil growing demand, the company says.
- 45 days ago, 2 Dec 20, 4:19am - - Licence to grow gold kiwifruit added to Gisborne rateable land value
Authorities have decided a $400,000 per hectare licence to grow gold kiwifruit adds value to the land, and will mean a sizeable rates increase.
- 45 days ago, 2 Dec 20, 2:49am - - Dairy prices up and back to pre-Covid levels
Prices have risen in the global dairy auction overnight and are now roughly back to where they were prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- 45 days ago, 1 Dec 20, 11:16pm - - Up to 60 overseas shearers to be granted border exemptions
It comes after concerns about how keeping shearers out could harm farmers' incomes and cause animal welfare issues for unshorn sheep wilting in the summer heat.
- 47 days ago, 29 Nov 20, 11:19pm - - Fish and Game and Federated Farmers try to find some common ground
Fish and Game and Federated Farmers have met up for a 'goodwill' meeting in an effort to work better together.
- 49 days ago, 28 Nov 20, 2:30am - - Farming funding unlocked as La Niña looms over summer
The government has unlocked funding to support farmers ahead of an upcoming La Nina season.
- 49 days ago, 27 Nov 20, 9:26pm - - Dairying family reaps rewards from robots
Manawatū dairy farmers Amy and Greg Gemmell are enjoying more family time these days, thanks to three shiny machines in their dairy shed.
- 49 days ago, 27 Nov 20, 7:21pm - - A swing to sheep milk
Country Life: Switching from milking goats and cows to milking sheep has been likened to swimming three lengths underwater by Te Aroha dairy goat and cow farmer Paul Schuler.
- 49 days ago, 27 Nov 20, 6:26pm - - Govt to allow 2000 horticulture workers in from Pacific under strict conditions
The seasonal workers are set to arrive in New Zealand from January in a bid to ease a shortage of fruit and vegetable pickers across the country.
- 50 days ago, 27 Nov 20, 3:12am - - Large-scale spirulina production investigated
The Ministry for Primary Industries is backing a project to investigate the viability of large-scale spirulina production in New Zealand.
- 50 days ago, 27 Nov 20, 1:18am - - Cherry growers nervous over limited seasonal pickers available
With the border remaining closed to seasonal workers, cherry growers fear huge losses during January's peak harvest time.
- 51 days ago, 25 Nov 20, 8:08pm - - Kiwifruit orchard wins inaugural award for excellence in M�ori horticulture.
Hineora Orchard, east of Ōp�tiki, was praised for turning the land into a thriving operation, pioneering gold kiwifruit and achieving impressive results.
- 54 days ago, 22 Nov 20, 9:56pm - - Vets on farm run: 'Grizz was just particularly protective of the family jewels'
Veterinarian Tara Gower goes around to check on dogs and rams at farms, and while most are compliant, Grizz has voiced his objections loudly and clearly.
- 56 days ago, 20 Nov 20, 7:19pm - - On the farm: A wrap of what's happening in the regions
Country Life - Pasture is bursting forth around the country in "dream" spring conditions, contractors are all out making silage, the summer fruit harvest is underway and in the vineyard, workers are tidying vine canopies.
- 56 days ago, 20 Nov 20, 6:30pm - - NZ farmers adopted regenerative agriculture years ago - professor
A veteran farming academic thinks regenerative agriculture is a largely redundant concept for New Zealand because it has been practised here for years.
- 57 days ago, 20 Nov 20, 1:47am - - Kiwifruit from 'record-breaking harvest' shipped off
The final shipments of this season's New Zealand-grown kiwifruit have left the Port of Tauranga, bound for Asia.
- 57 days ago, 19 Nov 20, 7:45pm - - Farmer-led projects to receive more than $6m
More than $6 million will be spent on farmer-led projects to improve the health of rivers, wetlands, and habitat biodiversity in Canterbury and Otago.
- 57 days ago, 19 Nov 20, 5:41pm - - Alliance pleased with performance despite sharp profit drop
One-off costs including retrospective payments to workers have pulled the meat processor Alliance's profit before tax down to $7.5 million.
- 58 days ago, 19 Nov 20, 1:10am - - Demand up for NZ made wool carpets
The global pandemic has New Zealand wool carpet manufacturers spinning, with demand increasing from customers here and in the US.
- 58 days ago, 18 Nov 20, 11:06pm - - Demand from China drives increase in dairy prices
Dairy prices firmed at the global dairy auction overnight with the average price rising by 1.8 percent.
- 59 days ago, 18 Nov 20, 1:10am - - Kaik�ura quake four years on: 'There was obviously a lot of work in front of us'
Four years on from a massive earthquake which rocked North Canterbury, farmers are finding new ways to work.
- 61 days ago, 16 Nov 20, 2:37am - - High Court rules farrowing crates for pigs unlawful
The agriculture minister must consider new regulations phasing out the use of farrowing crates and mating stalls, and improve minimum standards, the court says.
- 64 days ago, 13 Nov 20, 4:54am - - Fire and Emergency NZ fails to shed light on dangers of fires on conservation land
The people who run New Zealand's main fire fighting organisation do not appear to have looked into the dangers of fire on Department of Conservation land spreading to neighbouring properties.
- 65 days ago, 12 Nov 20, 2:31am - - Hauraki farmer Robert Hicks steps down after fighting floods for 40 years
A man who has been fighting floods for over four decades has finally handed control of the flood banks to someone else.
- 66 days ago, 11 Nov 20, 3:57am - - Demand for wool up after slump due to Covid disruption
After suffering a serious slump the wool industry has nearly managed to claw back prices to pre-Covid levels.
- 66 days ago, 11 Nov 20, 3:44am - - Analysis: New government likely to allow more rural development
There are indications the new government will support rural economic development more than it did before the election, writes Eric Frykberg.
- 68 days ago, 8 Nov 20, 7:42pm -
