Farm Worker Appreciation Day: Thanking NZ's Dairy Teams
OPINION: Today marks Farm Worker Appreciation Day – a day we’re proud to recognise here in New Zealand.
Two rural data organisations - DairyNZ’s DairyBase and Farm Focus - have formed a new partnership that aims to remove data duplication and help provide more timely, useful benchmarking insights for farmers.
Dairy farmers can now connect their Farm Focus account directly with DairyBase, which simplifies data sharing, reduces admin time, and ensures their information contributes to industry-leading benchmarking.
“We know that data duplication can be frustrating for farmers, so this partnership is about making life easier and enables smarter and more timely decisions to be made,” says DairyNZ head of economics, Mark Storey.
“Farmers have also told us they want benchmarking to reflect what’s happening now - not what was happening 12 months ago. This is the first step in that journey, as we work on greater partnerships with other key sector organisations.”
A Palmerston North shearer has been sentenced to six months' community detention and 12 months' supervision after being found to have physically abused three lambs while shearing them.
Power Farming has launched a joint venture in Southland.
Food rescue charity Meet the Need has released its 2025/26 Impact Report, revealing a record year of growth alongside a stark warning: demand for food support across New Zealand is rising faster than supply can keep up.
As we move into the second half of 2026, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that Year-to-Date figures ending June 30 saw new tractor deliveries hitting 1,386 units or 10.7% ahead of the same period in 2025.
The avocado sector is entering the new season with a larger crop and positive market opportunities.
New Zealand growers have always adapted to changing conditions, but one challenge is steadily gaining ground across the horticulture sector: resistance.