Fieldays calls for entries to 2026 Innovation Awards
Entries have opened for the 2026 Fieldays Innovation Awards.
Fertiliser co-op Ravensdown this week paid out an interim rebate of $20/tonne to farmer shareholders.
“This should give farmers confidence as they plan through the winter and head into the spring growth period,” says Greg Campbell, Ravensdown chief executive.
“Those attending National Fieldays will have a little more money in their pockets and we anticipate a flow-on effect to others in the rural communities.”
Ravensdown is also cutting the price of its mainline NPKS inputs. From 10 June, a tonne of potash or urea costs 6% less and granular ammonium sulphate is 9% less. Superphosphate also moves down from $319 to $309 per tonne.
“This price cut is not about shifting more tonnages, but about being more effective and building confidence. The amount of major nutrients we recommend is determined by independent soil testing, computer modelling and input from trained advisors,” says Campbell.
“As a cooperative, our policy is to advise our owners to apply only what’s needed.”
Campbell believes poor quality can be a false economy.
“Prilled urea is good if you’re planning to scatter it by hand, but costly if you’re going back and forth more often in a spreading truck.
Similarly a compacted ammo sulphate will break up and become dusty a lot faster than a strong granule.”
“The early rebate, price competitiveness and spread-ready quality are all about helping farmers optimise value from the land.
“Ravensdown continues to see annual growth in new member shareholders. Hundreds of new shareholders have joined us in the past year.”
This shows the appeal of the cooperative model remains strong, Campbell says.
New Zealand's diverse cheesemaking talent shone brightly last night as the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) crowned the champions of the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards.
Tracing has indicated that the source of the first velvetleaf find of the 2025-26 crop season, in Auckland, was likely maize purchased in the Waikato region.
Fish & Game New Zealand has announced its election priorities in its Manifesto 2026.
With the forage maize harvest started in Northland and the Waikato, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is telling growers of later crops, or those further south, to start checking their maize crop maturity about three weeks prior to when they think they will start silage harvesting.
Irrigation NZ is warning that the government's Resource Management Act (RMA) reform risks falling short of its objectives unless water use for food production and water storage infrastructure are clearly recognised in the goals at the top of the new system.
More than five million trays, or 18,000 tonnes, of Zespri’s RubyRed Kiwifruit will soon be available for consumers across 16 markets this season.

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