Tough trade
OPINION: Known for serious trade negotiations with global politicians, top NZ trade official Vangelis Vitalis also knows how to crack jokes.
The recent squabble between the Cook Islands and NZ over their deal with China has added a new element of tension in the relationship between China and NZ.
This has been further exacerbated by the presence of Chinese navy ships in the Tasman sea.
International trade specialist Stephen Jacobi says these incidents are deeply unhelpful for NZ trying to maintain a constructive relationship with China.
He says NZ cannot afford to antagonise the Chinese.
"I can't help thinking that the way that China has played its hand suggests that they are not as well disposed to us as they might have been in the past," he says.
Jacobi has been in Australia in the past week attending a meeting of the APEC Business Council (ABAC) - an independent high-level group of business people who advise the economic leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on priority issues for business in the region.
He says there was a lot of concern among members about the possible impacts of what might happen, but he says they all seem to agree that it's best to wait and see what actually develops and then be nimble in response.
Jacobi says NZ and other ABAC partners still have a lot of investment in the future of the global rules based system and if the US wants to take itself out of that, NZ still has the rest of the world to deal with.
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.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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.