The slightly easier New Zealand dollar and increased international demand combined to improve most wool prices this week, New Zealand Wool Services International Ltd's marketing manager, Paul Steel reports.

LAST SEASON’S stupendous production, in particular autumn’s awesome output, saw Fonterra ship a record 620,000t of product in the fourth quarter, 36% more than last year.

WAIKATO MILKING Systems NZ Ltd has won a multi-million dollar bid to supply Chinese dairy giant Mengnui with 13 rotary milking platforms – a big thumbs up for Kiwi agricultural technology, says Waikato’s chief executive Dean Bell.

Australian mutton production hit rock bottom last year by hitting its lowest annual total in over three decades.

With New Zealand Wine exports now valued at just under $1.2 billion and representing around 75% of industry sales, international trade is now the life blood of our wine industry.

NEW ZEALAND should learn from McDonald’s to market its primary produce in emerging markets, says the chairman of Rabobank NZ and Air New Zealand, John Palmer. And we should acknowledge Asian nations have been trading for thousands of years and will be brighter and better at it than us.

THE COURT of Appeal decision to throw out the Sir Michael Fay-led challenge to Shanghai Pengxin’s bid for the 16 Crafar farms will no doubt be greeted by more claims about New Zealand’s sovereignty being sold to China.

MAKING SURE none of the rhinoceros herd is poached during the night isn’t something New Zealand farmers have to worry about but it is typical for an increasing number of South African farmers diversifying into the lucrative game breeding industry.

The first whole milk powder has rolled off the processing line at Fonterra's new $200 million manufacturing site near Darfield in Canterbury and are bound for South East Asia, China and the Middle East.

The combined North and South Island wool auction saw a 79% clearance, the highest this season, with prices generally increasing across the board.