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Wool training reaches Chatham Islands

Next month, wool training will reach one of New Zealand's most remote communities, the Chatham Islands - bringing hands-on skills and industry connection to locals eager to step into the wool harvesting sector.

Farmers’ health hub launches at 2026 East Coast Expo

Chewing the fat . . . Craig Wiggins (right) and Dr John Roche chat at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo.

Farmers' health and wellbeing will take centre stage with a new hub at the 2026 East Coast Farming Expo.

Tamar Farm’s Red Devon beef pies win gold in Mid Canterbury Award

Richard and Chrissie Wright of Tamar Farm, where they breed Red Devon beef cattle.

A Mid Canterbury beef farm has unlocked a new market for its products thanks to its unusual beef breed, and an award-winning pie taking the district by storm.

LIC reports 18% increase in beef straws used in dairy cows this spring

Pamu’s Eweburn Station was one of the first to trial Halter on beef cattle.

The number of beef straws going into dairy cows is on the increase, according to LIC beef genetics product lead Paul Charteris.

Additional land needed to feed the same number of people

When nutrients are removed from the land in harvested material (plant or animal) the soil has a limited capacity to replace those nutrients.

OPINION: Eight point two billion people on the planet. Ten point three billion exported by 2084 (according to the latest United Nations' projections). And it is our role as farmers and growers in the food system to feed them. We need to do this as sustainably as possible, but the primary goal must be food production.

Sugar hit

OPINION: Winston Peters has described the decision to sell its brand to Lactalis and disperse the profit to its farmer shareholders as a 'short sighted sugar hit'.

Wrong focus?

OPINION: The Hound reckons a big problem with focusing too much on the wrong goal - reducing livestock emissions at the expanse of food production, in this case - is that the Government starts throwing taxpayer coin at increasingly ridiculous ideas.

'Doomsday' overkill

OPINION: In a memo, rich guy Bill Gates didn't become a climate change denier, but he did give the world a dose of common sense, saying we should redirect efforts away from the campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and instead focus on other ways to improve human lives and reduce suffering.

SOE on the block?

OPINION: Did the Prime Minister hint last week that the sale of Landcorp assets could be part of the manifesto for the next election?

Editorial: Preparing for drought

Good planning and early decision-making are critical when farmers are dealing with drought conditions.

OPINION: Farmers along the east coast of both islands are being urged to start planning for drought as recent nor'west winds have left soil moisture levels depleted.