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Ballance winners back from Europe

Southland farmers Grant and Bernie Weller love talking about their farm and the challenges of balancing profitability with environmental sustainability.

Hort exports up 3% to $3.5b

New Zealand's horticulture industry now accounts for $1 in every $13 of exports, with an annual value of close to $3.5 billion.

Focus on In-Calf programme

Around 40 farm managers and workers joined industry experts at Taratahi's Wairarapa Campus last week to learn more about improving dairy herd fertility through the Dairy NZ In-Calf programme.

Farmers likely to revise budgets

With gloomy trade news almost daily, farmers are likely to revise their farm budgets downwards. Given pastoral agriculture spends around $13 billion on goods and services each year, this has implications for both the provincial and national economy.

Sights on top butcher title

Young butchers across the country have begun sharpening their knives in anticipation of the 2012 Alto Young Butcher and Retail Meat Industry Training Organisation (RMITO) Butcher Apprentice of the year competition.

Warm to average winter ahead

NIWA is predicting average to above average temperatures for early winter, May to July, for most of the country – except for "near average" in the east of the South Island.

Time for plant for erosion control

Northlanders keen to protect their properties from erosion are being reminded the annual planting season for poplars and willows is now upon us.

DIRA clause flawed say Feds

Federated Farmers did not hold back when critiquing the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill before Parliament's Primary Production select committee yesterday.

Confidence on the wane – reports

FARMER CONFIDENCE is waning amid price drops and a high New Zealand dollar, two surveys in the last week indicate.

High dollar continues to confound

THE NEW Zealand dollar is surprisingly high and probably overvalued, says Westpac chief economist Dominick Stephens. But he told Rural News that he doesn’t buy into reports that the Kiwi dollar is heading towards 90c vs the US dollar in the coming year.