Picking winners?
OPINION: Every time politicians come up with an investment scheme where they're going to have a crack at 'picking winners' with our money, the Hound cringes.
Your old mate notes that NZ First leader Winston Peters, was not red-necked or stupid enough to ask some really dumb questions about the proposal of Hong-Kong-based He Run Ltd to set up a new dairy processing factory in Otorohanga.
Instead, it was left up to silly old Barbara Stewart, who this old mutt reckons would be out of her depth serving tea in the parliamentary cafeteria, to make a fool of herself. Firstly Stewart claimed foreign dairy companies in NZ like Oceania, Synlait Yili and Yashilia were all bad for the sector (ask those companies’ suppliers). Your mate reckons this proves that the depth of talent in NZ First’s ranks is only puddle thin.
Virtual fencing and herding systems supplier, Halter is welcoming a decision by the Victorian Government to allow farmers in the state to use the technology.
DairyNZ’s latest Econ Tracker update shows most farms will still finish the season in a positive position, although the gap has narrowed compared with early season expectations.
New Zealand’s national lamb crop for the 2025–26 season is estimated at 19.66 million head, a lift of one percent (or 188,000 more lambs) on last season, according to Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) latest Lamb Crop report.
Farmers appear to be cautiously welcoming the Government’s plan to reform local government, according to Ag First chief executive, James Allen.
The Fonterra divestment capital return should provide “a tailwind to GDP growth” next year, according to a new ANZ NZ report, but it’s not “manna from heaven” for the economy.
Fonterra's Eltham site in Taranaki is stepping up its global impact with an upgrade to its processed cheese production lines, boosting capacity to meet growing international demand.

OPINION: Your old mate welcomes the proposed changes to local government but notes it drew responses that ranged from the reasonable…
OPINION: A press release from the oxygen thieves running the hot air symposium on climate change, known as COP30, grabbed your…