Ahuwhenua finalists named
The three finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori sheep and beef farm have been announced.
» Featured
A capital gains tax on lifestyle homes?
A significant number of lifestyle block owners may have to pay a capital gains tax on their family home, warns the Real Estate Institute of NZ.
Farmers need to update NAIT details
OSPRI is calling on NAIT users to reregister all their locations and to update their NAIT accounts following a key system upgrade.
FE threat to fertility
Warm, wet weather creates perfect conditions for facial eczema (FE) and, given the right conditions, the risk of the disease could persist until May.
Bad news for sheep, cattle
Traditionally, bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) has been considered a disease of cattle. But lately it has been found to cause infections in sheep, deer, alpacas, llamas and pigs.
National
Farms hit by Nelson fires
Six commercial farms have been destroyed by the huge fire in the hills southwest of Nelson, according to Federated Farmers.
Fair pay rules may lead to strikes – Feds
Dairy farmers are concerned about the Government’s fair pay working group recommendations, says Feds dairy chairman Chris Lewis.
Farmers must comply with society’s expectations
Compliance means not only meeting the requirements of the regulator, but also the expectations of society.
Beetles help cut council’s crap
Hundreds of dung beetles have been released on the Wither Hills Farm Park in Blenheim.
World
Oz farmers plead to end sale of $1/L fresh milk
Australian dairy farmers are pleading for supermarket chains Coles and Aldi to join Woolworths in ending the sale of fresh…
Where to for the UK?
“On a knife-edge,” is how NZ’s former high commissioner to London, Sir Lockwood Smith, describes the British government’s EU exit…
Ireland assembles its agrifood units
With the UK’s Brexit scheduled for April 1, 2019, discussions in Ireland are centred on tariffs, with a general call…
Not even a wild Atlantic storm can stop the Irish
The Irish sure know how to throw a good party, as experienced last month at the National Ploughing Association event…
Mandatory code for Oz processors
Milk processors in Australia, including Fonterra, could soon be slapped with a mandatory code of practice.
Opinion
'Fertiliser' is not a dirty word
Many people know overuse of fertiliser harms the environment, but that shouldn’t make ‘fertiliser’ a dirty word.
Beekeepers baulk at honey levy
Jane Lorimer, president of NZ Beekeeping explains why she opposes the proposed commodity levy on honey.
Don’t take us for mugs!
Farmers are out of patience with local and regional councils treating them as cash cows.
Where’s the ‘wellness’? — Editorial
A survey of ExportNZ members shows exporters are feeling anything but well about what the Government intends to deliver in…
May the good times continue — Editorial
OPINION: Volatility? What volatility? Farmers are asking as global dairy prices rose for the fifth consecutive Global Dairy Trade (GDT)…
Agribusiness
Increase in AB boosts LIC’s result
More dairy farmers are opting for artificial breeding (AB), boosting sales for LIC.
Hotspots increase, soil moisture dips
Soil moisture is now decreasing nationwide but Fonterra’s latest Global Dairy Update shows milk collection was up 4% to December…
Students excited about Ag careers
An agri-leadership course held recently had secondary students ‘buzzing’ about career opportunities in agriculture — even though many already came…
Research farm up for sale
A slice of New Zealand’s agricultural history is for sale in the form of AgResearch’s Winchmore Research Station, northwest of…
New technology will help
Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies have the potential to help our primary industries capture high-value niches, according to a new…
Management
High-energy farming event coming
This year’s East Coast Farming Expo – on March 6 and 7 at the Wairoa A&P Showground – will again have energy high on its agenda.
Plantain can reduce N-leaching
Game-changing new research into how plantain crops can reduce nitrogen (N) loss from dairy farms will see upper Manawatu farmers at the forefront of dairy science.
FEP template aims to ‘quieten noise’
ECan has approved a farm environment plan (FEP) template for use by farmers under the new Canterbury Land & Water Regional Plan.
Native plantings paying dividends
Mid-Canterbury farmer John Evans is reaping the benefits of native plantings on his farm, in the form of improved pollination and pest control.
Dung beetles ‘last piece of a big puzzle’
A greater Wellington council officer is “really proud” of dairy farmers in the region who have backed a scheme to release dung beetles.
Farm Health
Farmers need to update NAIT details
OSPRI is calling on NAIT users to reregister all their locations and to update their NAIT accounts following a key system upgrade.
FE threat to fertility
Warm, wet weather creates perfect conditions for facial eczema (FE) and, given the right conditions, the risk of the disease could persist until May.
Bad news for sheep, cattle
Traditionally, bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) has been considered a disease of cattle. But lately it has been found to cause infections in sheep, deer, alpacas, llamas and pigs.
Comparing apples with oranges in insemination
It is true that the current frozen sexed semen product SexedULTRA 4M is the result of almost three decades of research and development.
Healthy livers, happy cows
Liver damage caused by Facial Eczema severely impacts animal welfare and productivity, yet many farmers are not sufficiently supplementing their cows to protect against it.
Machinery & Products
No-till drill gets an upgrade
The John Deere 750A All-Till drill is a popular choice in New Zealand, offering high outputs in conventional, minimal and no-till regimes and precise seed placement.
Turbine-powered drone aimed at farming sector
The world may be going all-out on electric vehicles, but GCH Aviation, Christchurch, is trialling a large, gas turbine-powered drone to service farming clients.
Thumbs up for strip tilling
To farm more sustainably and profitably, many farmers and contractors are exploring the advantages offered by strip-tilling.
25 years of selective seeding
After 25 years in electrical seed metering, Kverneland claims more knowledge in electric drive systems than any other precision seeding company.
A new standard in sprayers
A new range of trailed and self-propelled sprayers from German manufacturer Horsch is now available in New Zealand from distributor Norwood.
Motoring
Raptor for fun, not work
The Ford Ranger Raptor is not the truck you buy for heavy work; payload and towing capacity are significantly less…
HSV ute a cohesive upgrade
The after-market options for utes are extensive, but there’s a big difference between a properly engineered package and a ute…
One for Santa’s 2019 list
Here's our 2018 car of the year.
Car of the year an easy choice
Having driven the 2019 Subaru Forester at Queenstown and through the Bendigo Station at the media launch in August, your…
Hilux marks milestone with attitude injection
Toyota has restyled the 14 wide-bodied variants of its 21-model Hilux ute range, as the maker celebrates the iconic workhorse’s…
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The Hound
Pull your heads in
The Hound was disappointed but not surprised to see the multi-national, tax-dodging environmental group Greenpeace have another crack at NZers…
Unfortunate timing
Your old mate reckons Fonterra is not the only dairy company in NZ now under pressure.
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Popular Reads
Columnist facing calls to apologise to Wilson’s family
A New Zealand Herald columnist, who questioned the retirement of former Fonterra chairman John Wilson in July last year, is…
Wilson farewelled in Hamilton
Former Fonterra chairman John Wilson was farewelled in Hamilton today by family, co-op colleagues, farmers and friends.
Tariffs put squeeze on tomato exports
An increased focus on exports for New Zealand tomatoes could see the sector double its 2014 value by 2020.
Rural Life
Ozone in the vineyard
The word ozone conjures up images of big holes in the atmosphere, stronger UV light, the risk of severe sunburn…
Drones versus birds
Drones may soon be joining the armoury of weapons used to scare birds away from ripening grapes after a trial…
Boss woman has earned her stripes
Nicky Hutchinson “never dreamed” of becoming ‘The Boss’.