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OPINION: Animal rights group SAFE thinks skinny cows are unacceptable on a farm.
After two unsuccessful attempts to report farmers for allegedly carrying "thin" cows on farm, the group is now calling for the appointment of a Commissioner for Animals.
SAFE is unhappy with what it calls Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) lacklustre response to images of thin to emaciated cows, taken on two separate farms in recent weeks.
In both cases, images were passed on to MPI and in both cases inspectors visited the farm and found no offences and said the farms had sufficient supplies of supplementary feed on hand.
Just shows how much SAFE understands about farming and management of animals.
OPINION: MPI's response to the yellow-legged hornet has received a mixed report card from New Zealand Beekeeping Inc (NZBI), with praise for the Ministry's expansion of response funding and front-line efforts in Auckland, but a sting in the tail - criticising MPI for not focusing enough on regions outside the big smoke.
A stable but uncertain year lies ahead for New Zealand primary products, says Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General, Ray Smith.
Legal controls on the movement of fruits and vegetables are now in place in Auckland’s Mt Roskill suburb, says Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North Mike Inglis.
Fruit growers and exporters are worried following the discovery of a male Queensland fruit fly in Auckland this week.
A booklet produced in 2025 by the Rotoiti 15 trust, Department of Conservation and Scion – now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – aims to help people identify insect pests and diseases.
Registrations are now open for the 2026 Ruralco Golf Classic, with all proceeds from the event set to support the Mid Canterbury Rural Support Trust.
Mating wrapped up last month at the across-breed Beef Progeny Test on Pāmu’s Kepler Farm in Manapouri.
Libby Judson is a keeper of memories from an age gone by. Tim Fulton tells her story.
A New Zealand-first native tree study has highlighted the Bioeconomy Science Institute's position as a forestry research leader.
Hemp fibre processor Rubisco is relocating its core processing facility to Ashburton as part of a $20-$30 million expansion to leverage what it says is an accelerating global demand for sustainable and renewable fibres.
Tradition meets some of the latest in technology at the 2026 East Coast Farming Expo.
President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on imports into the US is doing good things for global trade, according…
Seen a giant cheese roll rolling along Southland’s roads?
