Cuddling cows
OPINION: Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in England's northeast to stop milking its cows and instead charge visitors to cuddle them.
There may soon be another tool available to cut your climate footprint - select less-gassy bulls out of a catalogue.
The quantity of the greenhouse gas methane breathed out by young bulls is currently being measured by machines. It's hoped the least-gassy males will sire less-gassy daughters, which could significantly reduce farming emissions.
Experts estimate that by breeding lower-methane bulls and cows with each other throughout a 10-year programme, they could reduce an individual cow's methane emissions by up to 10%.
Breeding companies LIC and CRV Ambreed have paired up to achieve the goal. From this month, the two groups will monitor the methane emitted by 300 bulls, to be kept in special testing pens with seven to nine others. To measure methane, bulls need to regularly stick their heads into a monitoring machine.
Solutions won't come as quickly as James Shaw might like, but they are being worked on.
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.