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OPINION:The reception at the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards the following night in Hamilton was slightly less warm for Damien O'Connor.
There was no honorary title for Agriculture Minister O'Connor. However, the message from a few speakers was clear - the Government must do more for migrant workers in the dairy industry.
One judge told the 700 gathered for the awards that some of these immigrants in the dairy industry are still on work visas and have been waiting for some time to get their residency tidied up. This is hindering their progress.
While the Government has ruthlessly knocked back the request for 500 more migrant workers, the least they can do is to grant permanent residency to those already here and doing a great job in the dairy sector.
Signing up to a benchmarking tool is not about competition, but about improving collectively, says Ximena Puig and Alvaro Luzardo who are 50-50 sharemilkers at a 164-hectare (effective) dairy farm in Eketāhuna in the Lower North Island.
A miserable budget that didn’t deliver much for anyone.
Milking cows in the environmentally sensitive Lake Ellesemere/Te Waihora catchment in Canterbury has kept Tony Dodunski on his toes.
Dairy industry leader Jim van der Poel didn't make much of the invitation he received to the recent New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards in Rotorua.
More than 640 dairy farmers and industry leaders gathered together at Rotorua's Energy Events Centre on Saturday night to celebrate the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards where Southland couple Scott and Stacey Mackereth were named Share Farmers of the Year.
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.
OPINION: The Irish dairy sector is facing a new dilemma - maintaining year-round fresh milk supplies.
OPINION: Could beef cows play an increasingly important role in improving profitability and resilience on hill country farms?
