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Less milk, fewer products – better prices

Fonterra chair John Wilson says the co-op’s forecast milk intake is down 3.6% on last season.

Falling milk production due to weather constraints has forced Fonterra to reduce sales volumes across its entire product range.

NAIT problems stymie M. bovis response

Fed Farmers president Katie Milne says farmer problems with NAIT have slowed the response to M. bovis.

Federated Farmers president Katie Milne says farmers’ problems in complying with NAIT (National Animal Identification and Tracing) have slowed the response to Mycoplasma bovis.

Massey adds farm plan course

The growing need for farmers to have farm environment plans has prompted Massey University to develop a new course to help train rural professionals to do these.

They had just one chance

The Plant and Food team pictured with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at parliament last week after picking up their award. Photo Credit: The Royal Society Te Aparangi.

The leader of the team that cracked the kiwifruit’s PSA problem says a hunch on how to deal with the outbreak paid off.

Getting rid of on-farm plastic

The rules on waste disposal by farmers and growers are changing: the traditional options of burning and burying are no longer allowed.

Irish mixer wagons hit NZ

Giltrap Agrizone is now offering HiSpec’s mixer wagons in NZ.

Giltrap Agrizone says it’s had outstanding success with the HiSpec range of slurry tankers and muck spreaders.

‘Scary’ rural health issues needs urgent government action

Michelle Thompson is calling for urgent government action on rural health.

Workforce shortages in the rural health sector – now and into the future –are “quite scary”, says Rural Health Alliance (RHAANZ) chief executive Michelle Thompson.

Who's going to pay for M. bovis?

National’s biosecurity spokeswoman Barbara Kuriger.

The government is being accused of going cap-in-hand to the primary sector seeking cash to help eradicate Mycoplasma bovis.

M. bovis keeps on spreading

Farmers picking up their M. bovis testing packs.

The number of dairy farms with confirmed infections of Mycoplasma bovis is creeping up as the national milk-sampling programme continues nationwide.

Big NAIT changes needed

Fairlie farmer Nigel Bishell is using UHF RFID eartags on his flock and says it helps him achieve a big increase in lambing percentages. Supplied: ANZCO.

An expert in data management in the meat industry is calling for a fundamental change in the technology used in the NAIT (National Animal Identification and Tracing) system.