Alpine Buildings, Timaru, claims to be New Zealand's first company to make complete kitset buildings and is well known for developing a bird-proof rafter called Zero-Bird-Perch.

A new programme celebrating and promoting careers in the primary sector has been launched by Prime Minister John Key, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and senior Ministers at National Fieldays.

Anyone who's fed round bales to cattle on a cold, wet winter morning would revel in a device that removes the need to manually remove smelly bale wrap plastic and netting.

Tributes have flowed for emeritus professor Colin Holmes following his death last week.