AN INAUGURAL Technology Expo run as part of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Central Otago ‘Farming For Profit’ programme has been hailed a success by organisers.

NEW ZEALAND dairy farmers are more efficient and produce at least twice as much milk per hectare compared to 50 years ago, says the latest DairyNZ Economic Survey.

THE RURAL sector is forecasting a strong year after outstripping expectations in 2013.

RURAL NEWS believes it is time for farmers around the country to take a stand against the constant carping and attacks by Fish & Game New Zealand on the dairy farming sector.

RECENT CLAIMS in an Auckland magazine about shoddy inspections in the meat industry show that New Zealand needs a separate food safety authority, says Labour Primary Industries spokesman Damien O’Connor.

NUFFIELD SCHOLAR Tafi Manjala (page 15) is correct in saying the agriculture sector needs to do more to inform the public about what’s involved and happening in our industry. 

MIKE JOY USED to manage a dairy farm near Palmerston North many years ago and loved the job. 

DNA SEQUENCING has identified another genetic flaw in dairy cattle, this time coming from the Jersey side of the industry.

DISCUSSION ON the potential impacts of the restructuring at AgResearch were wiped by Fonterra’s news this month – yet for the rural economy (which is, of course, New Zealand’s economy), the restructuring could have just as dire and long term consequences.

Fonterra says MPI has confirmed that additional independent testing has definitively established no presence of Clostridium botulinum in Fonterra's whey protein concentrate.