Native Forest Champions Honoured at Fieldays 2026
Forestry Minister Todd McClay has today congratulated the winners of the 2026 Growing Native Forests Champions Awards at Fieldays.
Do you agree with calls for the Government to take action to limit the scale and pace of this transition to forestry?
Last issue we asked Rural News readers whether they supported the Groundswell NZ protests on Friday 16 July.
An overwhelming number of readers - 90.5% - said they supported the protests.
Many repeated a similar sentiment - that the Government was placing "unworkable" regulations on farmers. One respondent said the protest represented "the first time it felt like someone was standing up for us. It showed what unity there is." Others said they protested because they felt farmer organisations are not supporting farmers. Only 9.5% of readers surveyed said they didn't support the protest.
This week's poll follows a recent report, which says 77,780ha of productive beef and sheep farmland has been sold into forestry since 2017, that Beef + Lamb NZ estimates will reduce stock units by up to 700,000.
We ask:
Head to https://bit.ly/2Vw3q4h to have your say.
Joshua Irving has been named the 2026 Ormond Nurseries North Canterbury Young Viticulturist of the Year.
Vets say they support the responsible use of virtual fencing and virtual herding technology for cattle and wants to work with farmers, manufacturers and government to help shape standards for future use backed by ongoing research to strengthen animal welfare outcomes.
National and world records tumbled as top Kiwi axeman claimed two Stihl Timbersports world titles at the same event in Budapest, Hungary over the first weekend in June.
A safety push across New Zealand has revealed significant gaps in hazardous substances management, farm vehicles, tractors, quad bikes and side-by-sides.
New Zealand farmers have earned a global edge by consistently yet cautiously taking advantage of emerging agri-technology.
New season data from LIC shows a strong reproductive performance for the 2025-26 season, with a lift in key metrics compared to last season.