Tasman farmers and orchardists struggling with flood recovery and mental health pressures
The strain and pressure of weeks of repairing their flood-damaged properties is starting to tell on farmers and orchardists in the Tasman district.
OPINION: In the aftermath of a mass shooting earlier this year on the campus of Michigan State University in the US, the university's herd of cows has provided comfort to students.
The Dairyherd reports that the MSU Dairy opened its doors to students, inviting them "to de-stress by petting MSU cows and calves".
The first two events had about 800 people pass through its two farms - horse and dairy.
MSU dairy manager Jim Good said students spent an hour brushing cows, which they said made them more at peace.
Independent Waikato milk processor Tatua has set another new record for conventional farmgate milk price paid to New Zealand farmers.
OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.
An early adopter of a 10-in-7 variable milking regime, the Lincoln University Demonstration Dairy Farm (LUDF) is tweaking the system this season in search of further boosting farm performance and profitability.
The dairy sector is in a relatively stable position, with strong milk price payout forecasts continuing to offset ongoing high farm costs, according to DairyNZ.
A shameless political stunt is how Federated Farmers is describing the Canterbury Regional Council decision to declare “a nitrate emergency” on the back of its latest annual groundwater quality survey.
Fonterra has delivered a fifth straight year of record organic milk price for farmer suppliers.
OPINION: Dairy industry players are also falling by the wayside as the economic downturn bites around the country.
OPINION: Methane Science Accord, a farmer-led organisation advocating for zero tax on ruminant methane, will be quietly celebrating its first…