Horticulture New Zealand is passing the heartfelt thanks of all New Zealand's fruit and vegetable growers to the Christchurch biosecurity inspector who takes her work home.

Helping dairying women along their journeys toward developing dairy businesses in the face of challenges is one of the main themes of this year's Dairy Womens Network annual conference.

"Pasture management is where the farming system starts," says Morrinsville dairy farmer Johan van Ras. In the order of things it comes before animal health because if you haven't got this right, your business can't perform.

The Waikato Regional Council is now planning to work with the farmers as they apply for necessary water take consents required under its Variation 6 policy on water allocation.

Rural land holders in three areas totalling around 900ha on the outskirts of New Plymouth are being invited to join a possum control scheme that already covers almost all the Taranaki ring plain.

Balclutha will play host to the first regional final of The National Bank Young Farmer Contest this Sunday (February 12) at the Telford Division of Lincoln University on Owaka Highway.

A new "good clean dairying" promotion will feature at this month's Effluent Expo at Mystery Creek, being organised by Waikato Regional Council and sponsored by DairyNZ.

Federated Farmers is concerned the Green Party has misinterpreted the Treasury's Briefing to Incoming Minister (BIM) on biosecurity.

Fonterra farmers want the co-op to get on with TAF (trading among farmers), says chairman Henry van der Heyden.

Judging has begun to select the winners in the 2012 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards from the record 525 entrants.