The 7000 bales of South Island wools on offer this week saw a slightly easier market overall with an 82% clearance, reports NZ Wool Services International Ltd's general manager, John Dawson.

Fonterra has lifted its forecast farmgate milk price for the 2013-14 season by 50 cents to $7.50/kgMS.

The official cash rate (OCR) has been left unchanged at 2.5%.

The seasonally adjusted value of exported goods fell 4.7 percent to $11.0 billion in the June 2013 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today.

Westland Milk says its new infant formula range launched in China last week is attracting strong interest from consumers.

With just six weeks until spring the two major fertiliser companies have dropped their prices on fertiliser nutrients.

The first South Island sale for the 2013/14 season saw small movements each way, but an overall firm market with an 89% clearance of the 8100 bales on offer, NZ Wool Services International Ltd's marketing executive, Paul Steel says.

THE AMERICANS are excited about a Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement because those markets will be the areas of world population growth, says Craig Lynch from Beef+Lamb NZ.

THIS LATEST fiasco over meat shipments being held up on wharves in China raises the question of just how well the primary sector is being served by the Ministry for Primary Industry.

EAST COAST AgFirst consultant Hilton Collier is the new president of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management, replacing Wayne Allan who’s completed the standard two-year term in the role.