Gypsy Day warning
The large number of farms affected by Mycoplasma bovis has prompted the Ministry for Primary Industries to issue a warning…
Recent
Slight rise in WMP price
Whole milk powder (WMP) price rose slightly in the overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction.
M. bovis reaches Waikato
Cattle disease, Mycoplasma bovis has spread to the Waikato region.
Browns win gold for sustainability
Matamata farmers Edward (Wynn) and Tracy Brown are the inaugural winners of the Fonterra Farm Source Responsible Dairying Award.
Duncans scoop Share Farmer of the Year title
Northland farmers Daniel and Gina Duncan are the 2018 Share Farmers of the Year.
National
Dairy industry’s big night looms
The gumboots have been put away and the shoes have been shined in anticipation of the dairy industry’s most prestigious…
DairyNZ helping kids make ice cream
DairyNZ has created a kit for schools that encourages children to make their own ice cream using typical breakfast foods…
M. bovis affecting more farms than expected — Govt
The tracking of cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis shows that more farms than previously expected are likely to be affected by…
Rabobank forecasts $6.40/kgMS milk price for new season
A shaky start possible, but a strong finish anticipated. That’s the prediction from Rabobank on the 2018-19 season starting June…
Synlait backs DIRA review
Canterbury milk processor Synlait is supporting the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2001 (DIRA) review, announced by Minister of Agriculture Damien…
World
Oz milk yield up
Australian dairy farmers produced an estimated 650 million litres in March, an increase of 2% on March 2017.
Oz dairy co-op Murray Goulburn sold
The growth of Australia’s dairy industry is now down to the two main players Fonterra and Saputo, says dairy analyst Steve Spencer.
Oz processor attracts milk from rival
Listed Australian dairy processor Bega Cheese attracted an extra 100 million litres of milk during the second half of last year.
Co-op’s hedge kept Canadians out
Canadian processor Saputo, on the verge of becoming Australia’s largest dairy player, looked at investing in New Zealand 16 years ago.
Sourcing better deals in Oz
Fonterra says its launch of Farm Source in Australia is another way of growing its partnership with farmer suppliers.
Opinion
Strange days for US dairy
The US dairy industry is now facing a challenging, unpredictable future under Trump.
Why Feds went down the GE track — Editorial
The latest Environment Court decision that brutally cut Federated Farmers’ bid to stop regional councils banning GMOs hopefully puts an…
Smarter farming needs nutrient efficiency
Tough questions are confronting everybody involved in food creation in New Zealand.
Kiwi farmers’ food validity at stake
As we stare down the barrel of a global consumer revolution we need to be brave to tell them what…
Agribusiness
Screen stops effluent blocking irrigators
A new screen that allows effluent to be better applied to pastures has won IrrigationNZ’s Irrigation Innovation Award for 2018.
Farmers part of Lely DNA – boss
Seventy years since inception, dairy automation company Lely remains a big influence on farming worldwide.
Natural health a winner for firm
The Hamilton dairy biotech company Quantec won the supreme award at the recent Natural Health Products NZ annual awards in…
Co-op’s butter award spreads a hat trick
It's official: Australia’s best butter is made at Fonterra’s Cobden site in Victoria.
Synlait linking with Massey for R&D
Independent dairy processor Synlait is to set up an R&D centre at Massey University, Palmerston North.
Management
Keep an eye out for virus-caused disease
Caprine arthritis encephalitis (CAE) is a disease of goats caused by a virus.
UK-made cattle bolus now sold in NZ
UK company Agrimin Ltd, maker of trace element boluses for cattle and sheep, has launched its products in New Zealand…
Dog on weed a friend to all
Invercargill dog trainer John Taylor has been in demand in the Waikato and other districts using his 8-year-old border collie…
Blazing the trail for OAD Jerseys
Converting a sheep and beef farm to dairy and going once-a-day milking has proven good decision-making by Jersey breeders Matthew…
Small but higher performing unit
A leading Maori dairy farm is planning to reduce its cow numbers but believes that by using better genetics it…
Farm Health
Daily milk urea readings could help tackle N in urine
New Zealand's 4.8 million milking cows excrete 1000 tonnes of nitrogen a day in their urine, and 200 tonnes of…
Spare the fibre, spoil your season
With dry off date just around the corner for the vast majority of spring calving herds, it is easy to…
New season’s maize silage
Last month I wrote about the likely impact of this growing season on maize silage quality, i.e. that relatively short…
Phosphorus heads off fodder beet problems
After 16 years experience of feeding fodder beet to his dairy cows, Brendon Woods says he would hate to be…
Stock feed prices on the rise – get sorted early
Thirty years ago who would have predicted that one of the many spin-offs of ‘Globalisation’ was the evolution of the…
Machinery & Products
Bends but doesn’t break
Arriving just in time for recent regional field days, the new Kawasaki Mule range bears the title Mule PRO-FXR.
Off-roader from elsewhere
For people looking for an off-road vehicle for their agriculture or a lifestyle property, the Kymco range of quads and…
Driver safety technologies rule
Polaris's hard-working New Zealand range now extends to 18 models with certified roll-over protection structures (ROPS) to satisfy WorkSafe concerns.
Wolverine a safe bet in the boonies
Queenstown wasn't turning on the charm weather-wise, giving us a wet and windy day in late March for the launch…
Scottish beef meets Kiwi bash
The arrival of Bryce Suma post hitters in New Zealand is interesting when you understand the background of the company…
Motoring
Raptor will make you a stand-out
The Ford Ranger ute has been remarkably successful since its launch, but until now, wanabee Ranger owners who wanted to…
Winds of change blow at Hyundai
It doesn't seem too long since Hyundai was the new kid on the block, but the last decade has seen…
Graphite edition adds value
A limited-edition Holden Colorado — just 100 units nationwide — will become the prized possession of a select bunch of…
‘RS’ might mean ‘really sharp’
Buying a house, horse or car is often about first impressions, so the first look at the Skoda Octavia RS…
T60 takes on the big boys
LDV distributor Great Lake Motors says it expects to shake up New Zealand’s ute market with its new LDV T60.
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Milking It
Oat deer!
Vegan oat milk is so popular in the US that coffee shops are running out of stock.
Top meaty facts
The Great British Beef Week, organised by UK Ladies in Beef, emphasises the nation’s locally produced food. Here are some…
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Popular Reads
Don’t rely on ‘she’ll be right’
Race and rally drivers’, do it, airplane passengers do it, even the Fonterra tanker drivers do it — so why…
Judge slams Federated Farmers
An Environment Court judge has slammed Federated Farmers for pursuing a case regarding limitation on the use of GE in…
Unacceptable attitude at Fonterra
Former Fonterra director Leonie Guiney is not ruling out another tilt at a co-op directorship.
Rural Life
Ozone in the vineyard
The word ozone conjures up images of big holes in the atmosphere, stronger UV light, the risk of severe sunburn…
Drones versus birds
Drones may soon be joining the armoury of weapons used to scare birds away from ripening grapes after a trial…
Boss woman has earned her stripes
Nicky Hutchinson “never dreamed” of becoming ‘The Boss’.