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Massive cattle losses in US

THE LIVESTOCK death toll from a blizzard in the American west is put at more than 20,000 head, but the disaster has gone barely noticed in a country focused on the government shutdown and the debt ceiling threat to its financial reputation.

Psa spreads to Wanganui kiwifruit

WANGANUI IS the latest area to succumb to Psa-V, but with the absence of Gold variety Hort 16a, it may be easier to manage.

Water saving crucial factor in dairy conversion

IN PLANNING a new dairy conversion in Central Hawke’s Bay, Campbell Chard wanted the operation to use recycled water as much as possible.

Big loss

YOUR OLD mate can’t help but notice the big change in former ag industry heavyweight Ross Townshend who now heads up Wools of NZ.

Puddle deep

A FRIEND of The Hound’s reckons farmer shareholders in Fonterra should – like this old mutt – be shaking their heads in disbelief at the seriously shallow talent pool in this year’s director elections.

Winners?

THE HOUND reckons recent media releases from a couple of companies supporting AgResearch’s rationalisation of campuses smacked of self-interest and some serious behind-the-scenes lobbying from the CRI as it tries to counter flak for gutting Ruakura and Invermay.

Attention!

YOUR OLD mate wonders if the recent appointment of a former army major-general as director-general of MPI means the Government is finally getting serious about beefing up biosecurity?

Apt description?

THE HOUND hears that a ‘rural’ submitter to a recent Environment Court hearing accidently let his strong feelings be known about a fellow submitter.

Editorial - Enough, already, of this whingeing

IT’S TIME for small dairy infant formula exporters to get over it.

It’s almost three months since Fonterra’s false botulism scare hit the headlines, but the small exporters are beginning to sound like an old record. Their catch phrase – “we are collateral damage”, frankly, doesn’t hold water any more.

Business, whether it involves selling food or toilet paper involves risk. Economic conditions, consumer demand, quality of product and brand and reputation in the market can either make or break your business.

Robots roaming pastures soon a reality

ROBOTS TRAVERSING dairy paddocks, patch spraying a treatment here, applying some fertiliser or effluent there: sounds far-fetched but the reality is the technology’s already available and a commercial product is just around the corner.

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Pasture tool a prompt

HOW MUCH grass is going to grow on your farm next week?

Keep milk pumping post peak

AS DAIRY production peaks for the season look at the drop post peak in previous seasons and ask could it have been better, says feed firm Seales Winslow.