The prime cattle keep rolling into the works in the North Island which is keeping a lid on prices. Last week, 300kg prime steer was $4.15/kg on average

Our winegrowing area is centered around the small North Canterbury township of Waipara, about 45 minutes drive from Christchurch and at the junction of State Highway 1 and 7. Amberley is the main service town for the region.

THREE YEARS ago Whangara Farms won the Ahuwhenua Trophy for the best Maori sheep and beef farm in New Zealand.

THEY SAY one week is a long time in politics, but three weeks is a lifetime in the current dairy industry political environment. The shock exit of Fonterra Shareholders Council chairman Simon Couper confirms TAF (trading among farmers) is not a done deal among councillors.

THE ANIMAL Health Board (AHB) says it hopes the findings of an Otago University study of a pest control programme using aerial application of the poison 1080 will reassure that such programmes have “changed for the better.”

A MILK tanker fleet sharing agreement may be on the cards among Australian dairy processors in Victoria and New South Wales.

With a scheme dating from mid-nineties and now covering over 95% of our vineyard area, New Zealand has largely been ahead of the pack when it comes to sustainable winegrowing. However, as New World competitors such as Chile and South Africa instate their own environmental programmes, the gap is starting to narrow.

Helping dairying women along their journeys toward developing dairy businesses in the face of challenges is one of the main themes of this year's Dairy Womens Network annual conference.

The Euro zone crisis, New Zealand dollar and Chinese New Year have been hitting wool prices, which before last week’s auctions had dropped about 12% since October.

PGG WRIGHTSON'S recent cereal agronomy group annual field day saw busloads of growers shuttled round six trial sites in Mid Canterbury. New chemistry, cultivars, even crops, were on the menu.