Dairy farmer profits to hit record levels in 2025
The profitability of dairy farmers is likely to increase in the coming year, accordign to the latest report by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) on the outlook for the primary sector.
Dairy Women's Network has appointed one of its past Dairy Woman of the Year winners as its incoming chair.
2013 Dairy Woman of the Year winner Justine Kidd will take the role at DWN's annual general meeting on October 22.
Current chair Michelle Wilson says it is a credit to the DWN board to have a person with Kidd's knowledge of agriculture and governance experience at the helm.
"As outgoing chair I take a lot of comfort in knowing that the organisation will continue to grow from strength to strength with strong leadership at the board table."
With the major prize for winning Dairy Woman of the Year being a place on the 12-month Global Women's Network's Breakthrough Programme, Kidd is nearly finished and will graduate in November.
Kidd says she is excited to be working with chief executive Zelda De Villiers and the team at the network.
"I'm really looking forward to the challenge and am thrilled to get my first chair opportunity with a chief executive like Zelda and an organisation that has a strong fit with my own leadership goals.
"The sense of responsibility to do a great job for the DWN will drive me. The network has come through a significant development stage under Michelle's leadership. It is poised to move into its next phase of growth and organisational development.
"I think Michelle has done such a fantastic job of leading DWN through some significant changes and challenges.
"My ambitions lie firmly in building positively on a fantastic foundation, working with the board to support the ability of DWN to sustainably deliver great outcomes for its members and the dairy industry year in and year out.
Kidd, who hails from Hawke's Bay, heads the BEL Group, a private dairy farm milking 9500 cows, is a shareholder in Dairy CHB which is now milking 1000 cows across two properties in its second year of operating and also owns JMK Consulting – a business leadership firm – as well as holding several directorships.
A technical lab manager for Apata, Phoebe Scherer, has won the Bay of Plenty 2025 Young Grower regional title.
Following heavy rain which caused flooding in parts of Nelson-Tasman and sewerage overflows in Marlborough, the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme (IFSO Scheme) is urging homeowners and tenants to be cautious when cleaning up and to take the right steps to support claims.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.
OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.