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As Australia's competition watchdog gears up to investigate that country’s dairy crisis, Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has pointed out that New Zealand doesn’t have $1/L milk marketing ploys despite having the same retailers.
But he’s only half-right. Australian retailer Woolworths owns the Countdown chain of supermarkets in NZ. Countdown is locked in fierce competition with the NZ-owned Pak n Save chain. The other Australian player, Coles, doesn’t operate here. And there’s nothing preventing Countdown offering milk at $1/L as does its parent company. Joyce acknowledges cheap milk has hurt dairy farmers for years, a problem now made more harmful by depressed export prices.
Chinese textile company Saibosi has partnered with Wools of New Zealand to put the 'farm to floor' story of New Zealand wool rugs on screen for its customers.
Showcasing the huge range of new technologies and science that is now available was one of the highlights at last week's National Fieldays.
Coby Warmington, 29, a farm manager at Waima Topu Beef near Hokianga was named at the winner of the 2025 Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer Award for sheep and beef.
Northlanders scooped the pool at this year's prestigious Ahuwhenua Trophy Awards - winning both the main competition and the young Maori farmer award.
Red meat farmers are urging the Government to act on the growing number of whole sheep and beef farm sales for conversion to forestry, particularly carbon farming.
The days of rising on-farm inflation and subdued farmgate prices are coming to an end for farmers, helping lift confidence.
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