More fruit flies found in Northcote
Two more male Queensland fruit fly have been found in Northcote, bringing the total to six.
Recent
Young farmer gets $1500 study scholarship
Financially-savvy students are applying for a raft of agri-food scholarships to help cut the cost of university study.
130,000 bees go under the microscope
Sampling has been completed for the largest and most detailed study of honey bee health ever undertaken in New Zealand.
Improve NAIT reporting or face consequences
A closer watch will be kept on the NAIT accounts of farmers and NAIT users who choose not to record…
Fonterra keen for a slice of A2
The a2 Milk Company and Fonterra are working closely through “the next wave of commercial opportunities together”.
National
High-tech spraying for orchards
FMR Group has turned its attention to the orchard industry with its new O-Series.
$400k given to Massey for innovation
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will pay for a new ‘Rural Innovation Lab’ based at Massey University’s Palmerston North campus.
Gearing up for another success
Fondly known as ‘the best day off the farm all year’, Central Districts Field Days is gearing up for its…
Show offers something for all
At least 26,000 people are expected to flock to Manfeild, Feilding this month for New Zealand’s largest regional agricultural event…
M. bovis levy awaits farmer approval
Dairy farmers could end up paying more for the Mycoplasma bovis eradication effort if they do not endorse DairyNZ’s proposed…
World
Where to for the UK?
“On a knife-edge,” is how NZ’s former high commissioner to London, Sir Lockwood Smith, describes the British government’s EU exit plans.
Not even a wild Atlantic storm can stop the Irish
The Irish sure know how to throw a good party, as experienced last month at the National Ploughing Association event at Screggan, County Offaly, Ireland.
Call for Brexit revote
Britain should hold a second referendum on Brexit to make sure the British people fully understand what they will be in for when the UK leaves the European Union (EU) in six months.
Drought top priority for new PM
New Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s first trip in the top job was to a drought-stricken farm in Queensland.
Drought crisis for Irish farmers
Farmers in Northern Europe – especially the UK and Ireland – are facing a crisis as drought forces them to sell stock early while they struggle to adequately feed animals remaining.
Opinion
Time to regulate all stock agents
Federated Farmers' meat and wool council is calling for compulsory regulation of stock agents.
Reality bites for free trade with EU — Editorial
OPINION: The PM's unrealistic claim of a free trade agreement with the EU before the end of the year is proving…
Keep Dira, but change needed
Westland Milk Products says the DIRA is still needed, but with some changes.
Why beekeepers support the levy
Beekeeper board members of ApiNZ outline why a commodity levy on honey is needed.
'Fertiliser' is not a dirty word
Many people know overuse of fertiliser harms the environment, but that shouldn’t make ‘fertiliser’ a dirty word.
Agribusiness
Increase in AB boosts LIC’s result
More dairy farmers are opting for artificial breeding (AB), boosting sales for LIC.
Research farm up for sale
A slice of New Zealand’s agricultural history is for sale in the form of AgResearch’s Winchmore Research Station, northwest of…
New technology will help
Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies have the potential to help our primary industries capture high-value niches, according to a new…
Students excited about Ag careers
An agri-leadership course held recently had secondary students ‘buzzing’ about career opportunities in agriculture — even though many already came…
Farmer confidence slips further
Rural confidence has fallen for the third consecutive quarter.
Management
Genomics key to smaller, efficient herds
The call for dairy farmers to prepare now for a future with smaller, more productive herds depends on access to superior dairy sires.
Sheep and beef focus for 2019
Two farms from the North Island east coast and one from Central Hawkes Bay are the finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua competition for the top Māori sheep and beef farm.
Vital to manage hoggets prior to breeding
Hogget breeding, done correctly, can increase the number of lambs weaned on a farm each year and their lifetime performance.
High-energy farming event coming
This year’s East Coast Farming Expo – on March 6 and 7 at the Wairoa A&P Showground – will again have energy high on its agenda.
Plantain can reduce N-leaching
Game-changing new research into how plantain crops can reduce nitrogen (N) loss from dairy farms will see upper Manawatu farmers at the forefront of dairy science.
Farm Health
Improve NAIT reporting or face consequences
A closer watch will be kept on the NAIT accounts of farmers and NAIT users who choose not to record…
Don’t balls-up ram selection
Don't balls-up your ram selection is sage advice for farmers about picking sires as mating time approaches.
Improve NAIT reporting or face consequences
A closer watch will be kept on the NAIT accounts of farmers and NAIT users who choose not to record…
Farmers reminded of animal transport rules
With the culling season underway, MPI is reminding farmers that each animal is their responsibility until it is accepted by…
Farmers need to update NAIT details
OSPRI is calling on NAIT users to reregister all their locations and to update their NAIT accounts following a key…
Machinery & Products
Twist-n-go electric bike all this farmer needs
Waikato dairy farmer Craig Brown's Ubco all-electric bike is making him big savings on fuel and maintenance.
Cultivator on road to success
The new Kuhn Performer 3000, with a 3m working width, extends the existing Performer 4, 5, 6 and 7m tine/disc…
Lemken thrives in tough year
The German farm machinery maker Lemken says it grew its business in 2018 despite difficult trading conditions.
Drills making a name worldwide
A recent demo day in Waikato allowed farmers and contractors a closer look at Allen Custom Drills.
Depth control made easy
Global positioning specialist Topcon has released details of its Norac tillage depth control system, which uses existing technology proven in…
Motoring
Jeep Gladiator a chariot that will attract many
2020 will see the arrival of a Jeep aimed at tapping Kiwis’ unquenchable thirst for utes, says brand distributor in…
G-Class Professional built tough for outdoors
The Mercedes G-Class Professional is a military-grade tough, yet smooth, vehicle.
HSV ute a cohesive upgrade
The after-market options for utes are extensive, but there’s a big difference between a properly engineered package and a ute…
One for Santa’s 2019 list
Here's our 2018 car of the year.
Car of the year an easy choice
Having driven the 2019 Subaru Forester at Queenstown and through the Bendigo Station at the media launch in August, your…
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The Hound
Pull your heads in
The Hound was disappointed but not surprised to see the multi-national, tax-dodging environmental group Greenpeace have another crack at NZers…
Unfortunate timing
Your old mate reckons Fonterra is not the only dairy company in NZ now under pressure.
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Popular Reads
A capital gains tax on lifestyle homes?
A significant number of lifestyle block owners may have to pay a capital gains tax on their family home, warns…
Bad news for sheep, cattle
Traditionally, bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) has been considered a disease of cattle. But lately it has been found to cause infections…
A nice little earner
Landcorp is paying members of its contentious environmental reference group (ERG) $1500 a day each – far more than other…
Rural Life
Ozone in the vineyard
The word ozone conjures up images of big holes in the atmosphere, stronger UV light, the risk of severe sunburn…
Drones versus birds
Drones may soon be joining the armoury of weapons used to scare birds away from ripening grapes after a trial…
Boss woman has earned her stripes
Nicky Hutchinson “never dreamed” of becoming ‘The Boss’.