Record audience at bull sale
A record number of farmers took part in the largest service bull sale in New Zealand – many from the comfort of their own homes.
Tainui Group Holdings' annual Hereford sale at Hangawera Station this month was a sellout; all 159 bulls were sold for an average $2800 per head.
Prices were markedly up on last year's sale and bids reached as high as $3200.
Rural operations manager Ian Mathieson says the bidders were eager.
"We had 60 registered buyers at the station Monday and we sold all the Herefords presented. The weather was fine and it was a family day out for many, given that it was school holidays."
Mathieson says its finance plans were a magnet for would-be buyers.
"We had some positive feedback on the finance plans available this year. It's been a tough season, particularly for dairy, but we worked hard with our agents PGG Wrightson and RD1 Livestock.
"Months of preparation went into this day and it was great to see it go really well," he says.
All the Herefords sold were purebred, aged 18-30 months. They were fertility tested and double vaccinated and tested for bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) and enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL).
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
Philip and Lyneyre Hooper of the Hoopman Family Trust have tonight been named the Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
We are not a bunch of sky cowboys. That was one of the key messages from the chairperson of the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) Kent Weir, speaking at an education day at Feilding aerodrome for 25 policymakers and regulators from central and local government and other rural professionals.
New Zealand's dairy and beef industries say they welcome the announcement that the Government will invest $10.49 million in the Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) programme.
OPINION: Expect the Indian free trade deal to feature strongly in the election campaign.
OPINION: One of the world's largest ice cream makers, Nestlé, is going cold on the viability of making the dessert.