Bikinis in cowshed
OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content posted on social media and adult entertainment subscription site OnlyFans.
The Ministry for Primary Industries is giving New Zealand schools a chance to name one of its six new bisecurity puppies.
Working biosecurity detector dog Aria gave birth to the beagle puppies (three boys and three girls) in March. They are collectively called "G-litter".
The floppy-eared puppies will undergo intensive training to work at New Zealand's ports and airports where they will sniff out food, plants and other items that could pose biosecurity risk to New Zealand.
But before they begin training they need names beginning with the letter "G", says Brett Hickman, MPI's detection technology manager.
"As a way to promote biosecurity among school children, we're asking classrooms to send in naming ideas for one of the female puppies.
"Last year, we received an overwhelming response to our competition to name two beagle puppies from our F-litter. We're hoping for a similar response this year.
He says MPI has been breeding beagles for 21 years as biosecurity detector dogs. During this time it has produced more than 30 litters.
"Beagles from the MPI breeding programme have an excellent track record for protecting New Zealand from unwanted pests and diseases.
"The G-litter puppies have some very big paws to fill."
Details about the competition can be found on the MPI Detector Dog Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/MPIDetectorDogs
The puppies can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgjpd9xfeo8
New Zealand milk production is off to a strong start, with the first month of the 2025/26 dairy season recording a whopping 17.8% jump in milk production, compared to the previous season.
With adverse weather set to rain down on the Top of the South, the Bay of Plenty and parts of Northland, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says farmers, foresters, and growers need to prepare for possible challenges.
Keep up with innovation and e-commerce in China or risk losing market share. That was the message delivered at the China Business Summit in Auckland this month.
Meat Industry Association (MIA) independent chair Nathan Guy says getting meat processors involved has been a shot in the arm for the sector's key marketing initiative into China, Taste Pure Nature.
Listed carpet manufacturer, Bremworth is undertaking a $6 million expansion at its Napier plant more than two years after the site was heavily damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Federated Farmers is vowing to keep the big banks accountable for their actions and to continue pushing for meaningful change in the rural lending sector.