LIC lifts half-year revenue on strong demand for dairy genetics
Herd improvement company LIC has posted a 5.2% lift in half-year revenue, thanks to increasing demand for genetics.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
At the opening of a new state-of-the-art methane research facility in the Waikato today, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said that Livestock Improvement Corporation's (LIC) new 'Methane Barn' will enable large-scale monitoring and measurement of methane produced by lactating cows.
"The research will enable farmers to select lower-emitting genetics and will be a valuable tool to help reduce biogenic methane without harming productivity," McClay says.
He says the research further bolsters confidence in the pipeline of new mitigation tools - giving farmers the choice in how they reduce their emissions.
"We are committed to meeting our climate obligations without closing down farms and sending jobs and production overseas," McClay says.
"Investments like the Methane Barn will offer farmers the tools they need to reduce on-farm emissions without reducing production," he adds.
The Government and industry have committed more than $400 million to speed up the development of methane-cutting tools with as many as 11 to be commercially available by 2030.
Controls on the movement of fruit and vegetables in the Auckland suburb of Mt Roskill have been lifted.
Fonterra farmer shareholders and unit holders are in line for another payment in April.
Farmers are being encouraged to take a closer look at the refrigerants running inside their on-farm systems, as international and domestic pressure continues to build on high global warming potential (GWP) 400-series refrigerants.
As expected, Fonterra has lifted its 2025-26 forecast farmgate milk price mid-point to $9.50/kgMS.
Bovonic says a return on investment study has found its automated mastitis detection technology, QuadSense, is delivering financial, labour, and animal-health benefits on New Zealand dairy farms worth an estimated $29,547 per season.
Pāmu has welcomed ten new apprentices into its 2026 intake, marking the second year of a scheme designed to equip the next generation of farmers with the skills, knowledge, and experience needed for a thriving career in agriculture.

OPINION: Here w go: the election date is set for November 7 and the politicians are out of the gate…
OPINION: ECan data was released a few days ago showing Canterbury farmers have made “giant strides on environmental performance”.