MUCH OF my work in recent months has been on strategic reviews. These assignments involve business health checks to benchmark performance against best practice for key areas such as feed strategies, people management, budgeting and reporting. They take me into privileged territory as I compare the standards being achieved by farming operations against what I know is possible. The benefit is a business plan that is clear about new opportunity and identifies factors that risk holding the business back.

Federated Farmers says its ''robust analysis' of National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) has achieved better outcomes for farmers.

MAIZE SILAGE harvest will start in a few weeks. It is a busy and stressful time for contractors and a little forward planning will help make their job easier. Key things to consider are booking in your contractor, bunker or stack preparation and ordering silage making supplies.

IT IS a high, dry climate to be dairying in at 400m above sea level north of Omarama, one that may appear to present some climatic challenges, but also some animal health bonuses.

ORDERING AND tracking fertiliser and spray is made easier for farmers and contractors using a new system from TracMap NZ Ltd, the agricultural GPS company.

JAGUAR'S COUPE, the XK, has a higher luxury specification for 2012 and includes a new top-of-the-range XKR-S with performance described as "formidable" for a Grand Tourer coupe and convertible. In Portfolio specification the XKR-S has new soft-grain leather upholstery, heated and cooled seats, heated steering wheel, a suede headlining and an 8-speaker Bowers and Wilkins 525 watts sound system as standard. The latest XK, in all its derivations, is recognisable by its thinner Xenon headlights and LED running lights and turn signals. There is a larger grille and new front bumper. There are five new paints in the 17 colour range and the choice of 11 different alloy wheels from 19 to 20 inches diameter. The Portfolio coupe and convertible models are available for $175,000 and $190,000 respectively. Apart from the new features detailed above, these have adaptive dynamic suspension, sequential shift with steering column paddles for the 6-speed automatic transmission behind the 283 kWs five litre V8. The XKR comes with a supercharged version of the V8 motor producing 375kW and 625Nm torque. Added features include an active differential, 'R' performance brakes, quad tail pipes and the 'R' exterior. These will sell for $195,000 and $210,000 for coupe and…

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.