Back to the future
Former US agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack has been confirmed to take up to his old role as the head of the US Department of Agriculture.
OPINION: If the hand-wringing, cravat and bow-tie wearing commentariat of a left-leaning persuasion had any influence on global markets, we'd be in a full-blown crash by now, what with the pessimistic wailing about the recent political 'reshuffle' in Venezuela - orchestrated by the US Administration Arm and executed, quite efficiently, by the US Guns & Choppers Division.
The Hound offers no opinion on whether or not this should have happened, but merely observes that, despite it raining lefty tears of sorrow, the sky did not in fact fall because a South American dictator was deposed without ceremony.
Grain markets rose, Asian equities surged, the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq were all up.
While there was some brief "haven-related hedging activity" boosting gold, overall risk appetite reportedly remains intact.
Perhaps not surprisingly, oil company stocks were among the upside leaders.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says a series of rural resilienced set to be rolled out next week will help farmers and growers better prepared for adverse weather events.
The head of Massey University's School of Agriculture and the Environment, Professor Paul Kenyon, says the outlook for the primary sector is positive with record numbers of students enrolling for Massey's range of undergraduate courses in the primary sector.
Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith is a long-time supporter of the CD field days and says the benefits from it flow into his city.
The finalists have been announced for the 2026 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Awards, with 24 finalists across eight categories.
The lower North Island township of Feilding is gearing up for its biggest event of the year - the annual Central Districts Field Days.
Stefan and Rachel Grobecker were named Share Farmers of the Year at last night's 2026 Bay of Plenty Dairy Industry Awards dinner.