The unpredictable world of elections, weather and rural contracting
Wet, wet, wet: that’s the message I’m getting from contractors all around the country.
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Farmers must have say on any water tax
The Labour Party’s water tax policy is “pretty short on details,” and the farming sector needs to have input into a final plan, says Beef + Lamb NZ chairman James Parsons.
Red meat sector looks to government for action
The red meat sector has eight key priorities and believes the next government can play a key role in bringing about positive change.
New quad works hard, rides easy
For ten years quads have been getting bigger and piling on cubic capacity: it’s no surprise now to see machines of 750, 800 or even 1000cc.
Rare sheep rustlers in for the chop
Rare breeds sheep farmer Daniel Wheeler is hoping someone will dob in the thieves responsible for slaughtering five of his rare Campbell Island ewes in their grazing paddock on the outskirts of Christchurch.
Aussie red meat marketers won’t repent
Australia's red meat industry will not repent about new television advertising for lamb that has some Christians and Hindus up in arms.
National
Adding value more than just adding cost
The term ‘value added’ is too often used as a vague generic, and farmers need to consider specific strategies for adding value, says Rabobank analyst Blake Holgate.
More stainless steel, less milk
New Zealand dairy processors could struggle to get enough milk to operate their plants, according to a new report by Rabobank.
Look at this, boyo
Rural News machinery editor Mark Daniel took time during a recent whistle-stop European study tour to visit the Royal Welsh Show.
Lab-grown food a major threat
The threat to farming from new food technologies is real, says Landcorp chief executive Steven Carden.
World
Fleckvieh fill the vats in Bavaria
Southern German dairying practice of keeping cows indoors 24/7 makes a convincing argument for getting cows out of winter cold…
Welsh farmers brace for Brexit
Milk production in Wales has changed dramatically in the last 30 years: in 1984 the country had 6500 producers; now…
Fonterra resumes pizza cheese production in Oz
Fonterra is eyeing a bigger slice of the booming Asian pizza business for its Australian-made cheese.
A farmer with a difference
Given that the average farm size in northern Italy is 9.8ha, the operation run by Dario Soresina and his family…
Aussie cattle prices start to take a dip
Cattle prices in Australia have ended their three-year golden run, says Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).
Opinion
The unpredictable world of elections, weather and rural contracting
Wet, wet, wet: that’s the message I’m getting from contractors all around the country.
Water trading not a good idea
Fellow Feds board member Andrew Hoggard and I have just returned from a five-day study tour in Australia hosted by…
Irrigation protest missing the point
Greenpeace has called for Cantabrians to join a peaceful civil disobedience demonstration against ‘big irrigation’.
Use soil to deal with carbon
The solution to the soil carbon conundrum is found in the ability of the practical pastoral farmer to manage and…
The politics of science 2017
Where do the two main political parties stand on science and the farming sector?
Agribusiness
Iwi, farmers join forces on water
A planting day on a farm at Kokopu, Northland, this month saw the first of 20,000 plants put in the…
Two Fonterra wins in global cheese contest
Two Fonterra cheeses have won silver awards at the international Cheese Awards held recently at Nantwich, UK.
Telford enters new era
Lincoln University's transfer of its Telford agricultural training operation at Balclutha to Wairarapa-based Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre has been completed,…
Food service is co-op’s happy hunting ground
Fonterra's Food Service division is a New Zealand success story, says director of global food service Grant Watson.
Taupo dairy sheep farm takes genetic high-road
A new sheep milking business using a world-first combined milking/feeding platform will start operating by October.
Management
Vertical mixer, feed pad gives flexibility to grass-fed system
Pam and John Hunter milk 435 cows on 130ha (eff) at Eureka, in the heart of Waikato dairy country, supplying Open Country Dairy.
Groundwater level up, nitrate down
A pilot project to remediate groundwater in the Hinds District in Mid-Canterbury is a success, according to a report into its first year’s operation.
Milking robots offer extra advantages
With well over 40 years of farming experience, Graham Turner reckons he made the right decision in filling the pit of his 20-year-old herringbone shed in preparation for four Lely Astronaut A4 milking robots.
Irrigation course sprouts a bright career
When William Bragg left school all he wanted to do was work with horses, but he soon realised this passion would not make him a fortune.
Not just a pest on the rugby field
Bright green peanut butter baits are being laid in an area of the Mackenzie District for the third year running to try to suppress an isolated population of wallabies adjacent to the Mount Cook National Park.
Farm Health
Cow’s productivity needs early start
To set up a dairy cow for a long, productive life you must give her the best possible start, says DairyNZ.
Velvet pills aid dog welfare
Farmers are buying a deer velvet supplement to give their working dogs zest and longevity, claims the maker, Gevir, of Havelock North.
Lepto vaccine not the only safeguard
Early results from a Massey University study show animal vaccinations are effective in preventing leptospirosis shedding in NZ dairy cattle, reducing exposure to humans.
On-farm biosecurity needs to be ‘best practice’
An animal health academic is urging best practice as a means of precluding the spread of disease.
Record strike of bulls
Holstein Friesian New Zealand (HFNZ) says its joint sire proving programme with CRV Ambreed is breaking records.
Machinery & Products
New quad works hard, rides easy
For ten years quads have been getting bigger and piling on cubic capacity: it’s no surprise now to see machines of 750, 800 or even 1000cc.
Pottinger delivers the numbers
Although conditions in the agricultural machinery sector continue to be difficult, the family-owned Austrian firm of Pöttinger was still able to increase sales by 2% to Eur 308 million in the 2016-17 financial year.
High-tech and high-spec
Matt Walker, of Barrhill Dairy Ltd in Mid-Canterbury, runs a mixed operation that focuses on 2200 cows milked through two dairies, producing 1.3 million kgMS per annum.
Is it time for a change?
The subject of quad safety is never far from the news media, but recent recommendations by Wellington coroner Brigitte Windley following the death of a 56-year-old Otago worker in 2014 do nothing to advance a solution.
Handles all the weather gods can throw
Having seen the latest Yamaha AG 125 at Fieldays we asked an Auckland supplier for a test machine for a willing farmer.
Motoring
Built for speed and more!
Best known for its enduring off-road ability, the Toyota Land Cruiser has added another plaudit to its CV – notching…
Drive this over the Jones
You'll stand out if you're prepared to hand over the moolah for the Jeep Brute Sport. It won’t so much…
New kid on the block
The new kid on the SUV block will have auto sales and marketing managers burning the midnight oil and scratching…
The best just got better
When we reviewed the VW Amorak in February 2016, it was fair to say we quite liked it. For 2017,…
A ute this ain’t!
The latest Land Cruiser 70 series from Toyota is a truck, so it won’t be the choice of Remuera Roamers,…
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The Hound
Shrinking minority
This old mutt suggests that if the polls are correct in picking a change of government at the election, then…
No teeth here
Meanwhile, the Hound hears that the supposedly kind, caring, friendly-to-everyone Labour leader Jacinda Ardern is showing none of these qualities…
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Popular Reads
Viral video blasts Labour’s water-tax
A farmer-made video opposing Labour’s proposed water tax has garnered praise and support.
Is the Kiwi farm endangered?
Lab-grown meat will be produced at $2/kg within five years and plant-based burgers that bleed are now in US restaurants…
Young farmers to be offered Landcorp farms
The National Party says it will offer state-owned Landcorp farms to young farmers, helping them into farm ownership.
Markets
South Island wool sale eases
The 4700 bales on offer saw a 74% clearance with mixed results, however all prices paid locally are still above…
Wool continues to ease
The 7250 bales of North Island wool on offer saw a 72% clearance with most types easing further.
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’.