Sadly, our cooperative has lost one of our strongest people with former director Michael Spaans passing away last week.

The future of once-a-day milking was talked up recently at a DairyNZ discussion group near Otaki.

The Ministry for Primary Industries says “suspicious” test results for the bacterial cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis on two more farms in the South Canterbury region are not dashing hopes for containment and eradication.

The possibility is still “very alive” that New Zealand will get on board the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, says trade expert and consultant Stephen Jacobi.

The next push for Zespri will be further creating demand ahead of supply and getting the best value out of the company’s global structure, says the new chief executive Dan Mathieson.

Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dean Hamilton will leave the company end of the year.

Rotary milking machines are becoming more popular worldwide, says DeLaval executive vice-president milking systems Jonas Hallman.

Veterinary Enterprises Group (VEG) has bought a minority shareholding in FarmIQ Systems Ltd.

Only in Marlborough could a one day celebration of Sauvignon Blanc turn into 16, which is what happened in the region world famous for Sauvignon Blanc.

The board of Omapere Rangihamama Trust is considered a strong one. Its Far North farm is one of the three finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy for New Zealand’s top Maori sheep and beef farm.