As Australian politicians haggle over endorsing a free trade agreement with China, farmers are warning that failure to ratify the deal will cost them up to A$18 billion over 10 years.

A Chinese corporation has made $73 million sales within 12 months of launching its New Zealand infant formula.

It's too early to write off China, says Hayden Dillon, head of corporate agribusiness for Crowe Horwath.

Businesses in rural areas are feeling the effects of a marked slowdown in the agricultural sector, according the latest MYOB Business Monitor.

Small Waikato milk processor Tatua's payout has again left other dairy co-ops trailing behind.

Since the SFF/Shanghai Maling deal was announced earlier last month some SFF shareholders, and other critics, have expressed concerns about the implications of foreign investment.

Agriculture product sales growth in US, China and South America enabled Skellerup to increase its agri division earnings despite the slightly softer New Zealand market, says chair Sir Selwyn Cushing.

Farmgate milk price forecasts by at least two banks, ASB and BNZ, have now been hiked upwards to $5/kgMS for the 2015-16 season.

Low milk prices have not only affected farmgate returns in New Zealand, they blew a $44 million hole last financial year in Fonterra's China farm business.

Claims that Silver Fern Farms approached the Government for funding and/or sought a meeting with Finance Minister Bill English for over a year have been debunked by the co-op's chair Rob Hewett.