Birth woes
OPINION: What does the birth rate in China have to do with stock trading? Just ask a2 Milk Company.
Ever wondered what would happen if China attempted to become self sufficient in dairy?
Aside from the environmental degradation, one of the fears about dairy intensification in China was always, what happens when China can simply reproduce that same basic bargain bin milk powder product even more cheaply than NZ can?
Well, we got a glimpse last week.
A2 Milk Co, the global champion of A2 infant formula, this month lost $1 billion value of stock after China unveiled a plan to boost local output and reduce reliance on imports.
Under the new programme, China aims to exceed 60% self sufficiency in baby formula and improve the quality of domestic brands in its US$27 billion infant formula industry.
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.