$50m dryer for sheep milk
A new milk spray dryer to be built next year in Hamilton will help New Zealand’s advance in infant formula and specialty ingredients, say its investors.
» Featured
Rowarth wants better rap for dairy
Science, communication and how dairy works with other sectors to ensure New Zealand has a good reputation for sustainability will be a focus for Jacqueline Rowarth as a new director of DairyNZ.
McBride chuffed with response
New Fonterra director Peter McBride says he is overwhelmed with the response in the election.
Processors glum on China FTA review
Dairy companies are disappointed at news that the review of the China-New Zealand FTA is unlikely to result in improvement for dairy access.
DIRA out of date?
The Dairy Industry Restructuring Act (DIRA) appears to be preventing Fonterra from effectively managing some aspects of its farmers’ environmental performance, says a discussion document from MPI.
Biosecurity champs announced
Biosecurity New Zealand announced the winners of the 2018 New Zealand Biosecurity Awards last night.
National
Dairy is not evil
Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Andrew Curtis believes there will always be a place for dairy.
New hope for high and dry irrigators
Farmers in the Hawarden basin in North Canterbury could still get an irrigation scheme by 2021, despite the failure of the Hurunui Water Project to attract enough interest to proceed.
Guiney, McBride win Fonterra board seats
Outgoing Zespri chairman Peter McBride and South Canterbury farmer Leonie Guiney have been voted onto Fonterra’s board.
Bula to beef farming Fiji style
Rex and Lynette Smith have spent decades building a successful charter fishing company. Now they've set up a beef cattle operation in Fiji from scatch.
World
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.
Oz processor tipped to be broken up
A large Australian dairy processor may soon be broken up and sold.
Opinion
One year down the track
Minister of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Damien O’Connor explains what's been done this year in government.
Freshwater quality an urban issue too
OPINION: It’s time for all hands to the pump because improvement in rural landscapes and municipal areas is worth chasing together.
Dunne in style — Editorial
It was once jokingly said that the next most-important job after the All Blacks coach is the head of the…
Too late to plant maize silage?
About this time of the year, we always seem to get calls from merchants and farmers asking several versions of…
Crunching the numbers — Editorial
It's crunch time for dairy and beef farmers as they decide how much the two sectors will pay, respectively, toward…
Agribusiness
Kiwifruit may be the ticket
Growing confidence in the kiwifruit sector is providing new opportunities for pastoral farmers.
Velvet prospects looking sound
Prospects for the velvet market during the 2018-19 season are expected to be reasonably stable, says Deer Industry NZ (DINZ).
Ethics matter most at Oz creamery
Innovative Western Australian dairy farmers Mat and Sue Daubney have added another feather to their cap.
Apprenticeship draws a crowd
One in five people interested in taking up dairy apprenticeships are from Auckland and one in three people placed in…
New orchard a vote of faith in sector
A new 12ha cherry orchard now being set up by Cromwell’s 45 South is a vote of confidence in the…
Management
Novel plumbing for Massey research farm
Massey University's sheep and beef research farm is to begin nutrient leaching research using underground water and nutrient collection.
Sheep milking farmers wanted
Farmers between Auckland and Taupo can now take the plunge into sheep milk, says Maui Milk general manager Peter Gatley.
Reputation of milk quality is paramount
We have all had to deal with milk quality issues onfarm at some stage in our farming careers — whether it be a freezing point grade or high bulk somatics on the first pick-up or perhaps an antibiotic scare during the season.
Taking the sting out of milk
If your milk cooling system is not capable of meeting the new milk cooling regulations, you may need secondary cooling.
Two cooling audits each year
Farm dairy operators must have an auditable system that confirms milk cooling requirements are met.
Farm Health
Prepare for smaller, more productive herds
Dairy farmers worldwide are being urged to prepare now for a future with a smaller herd of higher producing cows, says the general manager of World Wide Sires New Zealand, Hank Lina.
Update NAIT account regularly
West Coast farmer Andrew Stewart believes the key to animal traceability is to keep your National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) account regularly updated.
Check ewes’ udders after weaning – study
An ongoing study of udder defects in ewes has raised timely new information for farmers, says a Massey University professor.
Changing normal drench routine may have upside
Shifting away from the common 28-day drench routine could help reduce resistance development and even improve livestock productivity, says an animal health company.
Training helps identify stressed farmers
An Environment Canterbury advisor who trained to be a Good Yarn facilitator is now better able to help a farmer who is stressed or mentally ill.
Machinery & Products
Make farming safer, easier
Smart farmers won't just look to technlogy to save time and energy — they'll also look to it to imporve onfarm safety.
Trailed post driver ideal for those ‘elderly’ steeds
Most heavy-duty post drivers require a heavy-duty or substantial tractor to carry the implements on the three-point linkage.
Combi baler gives a big productivity boost
Increasing daily bale output was a priority for Davidson Contracting and the key reason for the firm’s upgrading its NH BR 6090 baler to a New Holland RB125C combi at the start of last season.
Companion helps with loading
Frontloader specialist Quicke's Q-companion is designed to allow operators to record weights of materials loaded, so it proves useful for mixing rations or loading trucks with produce for hauling away from a farm.
JCB takes on the world
Despite Brexit being foreshadowed as a handbrake on Britain’s exports to Europe, it seems the future holds no fear for construction and farm machinery maker JCB, which has just released impressive year 2017 financial results.
Motoring
Mercedes ute sets a new standard
It took a while to get here, but now it’s arrived the Mercedes X-Class has created a stir at the…
Making a line for the Sportline
After test driving the Skoda Kodiaq Sportline, we think getting one may be a clever choice.
Golden eagle soars
The Jeep legend was born in WWII but it came of age in the 1970s with a Golden Eagle version…
Touring around in comfort
Okay Holden, you’re not fooling anyone with your raised ride height and plastic wheel arches; the Calais-V Tourer is no…
Forester comes out of the woods
Given that the Subaru Forester virtually started the trend to SUVs years ago, the New Zealand motoring public’s assigning to…
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The Hound
New career?
The Hound reckons former agriculture minister and speaker of the House David Carter is heeding calls for him to get…
One law for all?
The Hound would like to know why Greenpeace activists who break the law never get punished.
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Popular Reads
Need real farmers
The Fonterra board needs real farmers with their own skin in the game, says would-be director John Nicholls.
Westland cruising to a better year
The bad years are over for Westland Milk Products.
Rebuilding the Jersey herd
A group of young farmers is spearheading moves to rebuild the New Zealand Jersey herd.
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’.