NZ scientists make breakthrough in Facial Eczema research
A significant breakthrough in understanding facial eczema (FE) in livestock brings New Zealand closer to reducing the disease’s devastating impact on farmers, animals, and rural communities.
Two agricultural software providers are joining forces to create more value for pastoral farmers.
FarmIQ Systems and state-owned AgResearch have formed a strategic partnership after FarmIQ acquired decision-support tool Farmax from the SOE.
AgResearch will now become a shareholder in FarmIQ Systems and a preferred provider of science and research going forward.
FarmIQ chief executive Will Noble said the partnership was long overdue as both organisations have shared the same vision for the agriculture sector since its inception from the Primary Growth Partnership in 2010.
"If we want to become the leading decision support platform of choice for all pastoral farmers in New Zealand, then having AgResearch as a shareholder and the Farmax product to our whanau, brings with it strong industry credibility and a vast amount of science to our software - it's incredibly exciting for our farming customers and the industry as a whole".
AgResearch director of technology and digital services Greg Rossiter says the decision was made as part of the CRI's commitment to providing the agricultural industry with quality science and software-based decision support tools.
Going forward FarmIQ will invest the capital and provide the infrastructure to take Farmax to the next level, which was not considered AgResearch's core business.
"The partnership delivers our scientists opportunities to collaborate and strengthen relationships with key partners and FarmIQ shareholders," says Rossiter.
Gavin McEwen, chief executive of Farmax views the partnership as having plenty of benefits for Farmax's own customers "the business will continue to provide its standalone product and services to our valued customers".
"Our goal is to unlock tangible benefits to all by improving interoperability and integration between both applications to make things easier, quicker and more accurate for customers."
New Zealand's diverse cheesemaking talent shone brightly last night as the New Zealand Specialist Cheesemakers Association (NZSCA) crowned the champions of the 2026 New Zealand Cheese Awards.
Tracing has indicated that the source of the first velvetleaf find of the 2025-26 crop season, in Auckland, was likely maize purchased in the Waikato region.
Fish & Game New Zealand has announced its election priorities in its Manifesto 2026.
With the forage maize harvest started in Northland and the Waikato, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) is telling growers of later crops, or those further south, to start checking their maize crop maturity about three weeks prior to when they think they will start silage harvesting.
Irrigation NZ is warning that the government's Resource Management Act (RMA) reform risks falling short of its objectives unless water use for food production and water storage infrastructure are clearly recognised in the goals at the top of the new system.
More than five million trays, or 18,000 tonnes, of Zespri’s RubyRed Kiwifruit will soon be available for consumers across 16 markets this season.