THE KAPENGA M dairy farm has a simple philosophy: maintain ownership and grow its people’s expertise in farming.

Southland farmers Grant and Bernie Weller love talking about their farm and the challenges of balancing profitability with environmental sustainability.

WORKSHOPS BEGAN last week nationwide to help dairywomen better manage staff, say the organisers, Dairy Womens Network.

Around 40 farm managers and workers joined industry experts at Taratahi's Wairarapa Campus last week to learn more about improving dairy herd fertility through the Dairy NZ In-Calf programme.

With gloomy trade news almost daily, farmers are likely to revise their farm budgets downwards. Given pastoral agriculture spends around $13 billion on goods and services each year, this has implications for both the provincial and national economy.

Nearly 700 people will attend the 2012 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards annual awards dinner, where the winners of the New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions will be announced.

NIWA is predicting average to above average temperatures for early winter, May to July, for most of the country – except for "near average" in the east of the South Island.

THE NEW Zealand dollar is surprisingly high and probably overvalued, says Westpac chief economist Dominick Stephens. But he told Rural News that he doesn’t buy into reports that the Kiwi dollar is heading towards 90c vs the US dollar in the coming year.

MORE FARMS were sold in the first three months of this year than any similar period since the start of the global financial crisis in September 2008.

IF THERE’S one thing guaranteed to spark debate in business – especially farming circles – it is the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).