Battle for milk
OPINION: Fonterra may be on the verge of selling its consumer business in New Zealand, but the co-operative is not keen on giving any ground to its competitors in the country.
OPINION: The Hound would have thought - with the end of all the Covid regulations earlier this month - it would see public entities no longer using the restrictions to limit media access.
However, it seems that Fonterra is still refusing to hold 'in person' media attendances at its corporate announcements - the latest example was the co-op's recent annual results unveiling.
Despite taking place a good two weeks after the Government dropped all the Covid protocols, the dairy giant's media managers still won't allow journalists to front up at Gumboot castle and quesiton the chairman and executive team in person.
Access was only granted by phone or weblink - which is never as useful or enlightening as face-to-face.
It begs the question - if it no longer has the excuse of using Covid health requirements in fronting the media in person -what is Fonterra, its chair and leadership trying to hide?
A Hawke's Bay apple orchardist supports the Government's objective of doubling exports but says this won't happen in the horticulture sector unless there's a change in the process for bringing new plant material into the country.
Canterbury arable farmers are down by tens of millions of dollars after a rollercoaster of wild changeable January weather saw harvests delayed and some crops destroyed by violent hailstorms.
Could a breakthrough in fermentation create a new multi-million-dollar export market for shiitake mushroom extracts into China?
Meadow Fresh has created the world's first fantasy sports league powered by real cows.
This year, 'Foodie February' sees potatoes take the spotlight as one of New Zealand's most powerful and versatile food heroes.
A multi-cultural team is helping to establish one of New Zealand's largest plantings of premium eating grapes - while learning each other's languages and cultures along the way.

OPINION: Meanwhile, red blooded Northland politician Matua Shane Jones has provided one of the most telling quotes of the year…
OPINION: This old mutt has been around for a few years now and it seems these ‘once in 100-year’ weather…