OPINION: Soil carbon is not included in either New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) or the proposed He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) programme.

Progress is being made - albeit slowly on building greater awareness of wool throughout New Zealand and beyond.

Milk processor Synlait is on the comeback trail after 18 months of turmoil.

With the He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN) farmer consultations on agricultural emissions pricing now over, the real work begins.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says if a new research project is successful, farmers and growers will be able to collate and share environmental compliance data digitally.

Strong farmgate prices for red meat have also flowed through to better returns for processor and exporter Silver Fern Farms (SFF).

Typical of the farms damaged in the storm in the south of the East Coast is Mangaroa Station, owned by Nuku and Bart Hadfield - winners in 2015 of the Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori sheep and beef farm.

Hawke’s Bay sheep and beef farmer Bruce Wills has been elected the new chair of Ravensdown.

In late March the soil just seemed to melt off the steep hillsides as unbelievably heavy rain poured down on the North Island's East Coast in what's been described as one of the biggest storms to hit the region since cyclone Bola in 1988. Peter Burke reports.

Southland's normally wet climate is counting against it as the region struggles under what is thought to be its worst drought in 80 years.