With Christmas just around the corner, farmers thoughts will be on finding a gift for the domestic manager, the ankle-biters – and maybe a little prezzie for themselves.

Following the Kaikoura earthquake two years ago, the people impact was the greatest priority for the Pernod Ricard Winemakers’ management team.

As we bid farewell to another year it’s time for the annual review of 2018 in the primary sector as seen by the Rural News editorial team.

State farmer Landcorp has raised the ire of opposition politicians and Federated Farmers over its increasingly overt political behaviour.

Your old mate was always suspicious about the way the Provincial Growth Fund and the man in charge of it – Shane Jones – would administer it.

Wine appreciation is full of accepted rules and wisdom. Some are as simple as “red wine goes with red meat”. Others are more finicky – e.g. “Champagne must be served at four degrees Celsius”. 

Surfboards made of wool are the next front in securing wool’s long-term future for New Zealand’s agricultural sector.

Shareholders in the farm services co-operative Farmlands will be voting on the first big change to its constitution since 2013 at the annual meeting to be held in Hokitika on November 23.

At least half of the exhibitor sites are now sold for the South Island Agricultural Field Days, says spokesman Daniel Schat.

A new milk spray dryer to be built next year in Hamilton will help New Zealand’s advance in infant formula and specialty ingredients, say its investors.