Much comment surfaces in the media about how much farmers should be paying staff and whether they are paying enough.

WORK IS well underway to plan the dairy industry's largest event targeted for the specific needs of women in the business of dairying – the Dairy Womens Network annual conference.

Managers tend to hate the exercise and employees quite often can’t see any benefit (it’s often seen as a one way tool for management use).

WHETHER MOTIVATED by profitability or a drive for continuous improvement, growing staff productivity is an ongoing challenge facing all businesses. 

IF YOU haven’t already heard of CostCo, chances are you soon will. Two representatives of the giant US wholesale-style retailer visited New Zealand earlier this month looking to forge closer links with beef suppliers.

A new owner, new winemaker and new oak regime are heralding in a new wave of quality at Te Kairanga in Martinborough as Joelle Thomson discovers.

Federated Farmers’ recent manifesto talks about building a sustainable farm system giving us the collective means to progress as a nation.  We can and we will be more than we are today, but to do that we need the right people trained the right way.

It has taken about 144 years since the introduction of powdery mildew to New Zealand for the sexual stage to arrive. Now growers have a tougher battle on their hands.

2014 HAS seen a high-demand start to my professional year with many sizeable assignments starting for new and existing clients. This reflects a combination of a buoyant dairy economy and more willingness by top operators to make themselves accountable to best practice by putting key aspects of their businesses under the spotlight.

THE HOUND hears that a ‘rural’ submitter to a recent Environment Court hearing accidently let his strong feelings be known about a fellow submitter.