Gross domestic product (GDP) rose just 0.3% in the March 2013 quarter with effects of the drought kicking in.
Import requirements will be strengthened after a small part of an animal limb was recently discovered in a shipment.
Increased exports of dairy products, together with the rising spending by overseas visitors, saw New Zealand's seasonally adjusted current account deficit fall $0.3 billion in the March 2013 quarter, Statistics New Zealand says.
Lincoln University has made public the building development plan for the Selwyn campus for the next 25 years which includes aspects of the proposed 'Lincoln Hub'.
Civil Defence is urging farmers to move stock away from areas of flood, landslide or power line risk as a winter storm looms over the country.
The Animal Health Board is relinquishing its role as the management agency for the National Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) Pest Management plan.
The Ministry for Primary Industries congratulates Marlborough dryland farmer Doug Avery, who has been named the 2013 Landcorp Agricultural Communicator of the Year.
Federated Farmers of New Zealand is welcoming Google's global trial for its revolutionary Project Loon. If successful, Project Loon could ensure near total broadband coverage for rural New Zealand at speeds currently associated with 3G mobile.
THE HIGHLANDERS rugby team may be making Otago farmers despair, but when it comes to water policy, it seems their region is top of the table, judging by the comments of one expert.
A Tatua director and Waikato sheep farmer Ross Townshend has been appoint chief executive of Wools of New Zealand.
Federated Farmers is encouraging South Island farmers to enter a competition to discover who could become the South Island's farmer of farmers.
The recent decline in the NZD, low interest rates, a good breaking of the drought, plus good dairy prices have left farmers in good heart at this year's national Fieldays, says BNZ chief economist Tony Alexander.
A hand-held device used to read ear tags on farm animals, developed by Massey industrial designer Tony Parker and technology company Gallagher, has won the inaugural International Innovation Award at Fieldays.
Judges were overwhelmed by the high standard of entries in the Fieldays Innovation Competition at Fieldays yesterday.
The 7400 bales on offer in the North Island today saw strong demand due to the lack of wool as a result of drought and in particular in the South Island wet weather conditions delaying shearing.
The Reserve Bank today left the Official Cash Rate (OCR) unchanged at 2.5%.