Recent
Combines win robotics award
John Deere's X Series Combine Harvesters received a CES Innovation Award to recognise their ‘outstanding product design and engineering in…Better sowing accuracy
Väderstad has updated its Spirit 400C/S pneumatic seed drill, which aims to deliver greater seeding precision, user-friendly electronics and a high…Double-row drilling increases yields
German manufacturer Lemken claims there are yield and quality advantages to be gained by precision planting maize in two staggered…National
Recommendations 'ambitious and challenging'
Initial reaction to the Climate Change Commission report has been generally muted, but there are some concerns in the agricultural…
Ag contractors face up to challenges
New Zealand's rural contractors are facing a mixed bag of weather conditions, from drought in Northland to a cracker season…Fonterra's debt reduction gets tick of approval
Fonterra's strategic review following two years of financial losses has received a tick of approval from ratings agency Fitch.Meat exports remain strong in 2020
New Zealand's red meat sector exported $9.2 billion worth of products during 2020 – an increase of 1% on the…Deer boss optimistic on venison
Innes Moffat says he is optimistic for exports of venison in 2021.World
NZ and China sign FTA upgrade
Trade Ministers for New Zealand and China have signed an upgrade to the free trade agreement between the two countries.
NZ to host virtual APEC
New Zealand will be in the virtual spotlight for the next 12 months as it hosts the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) conference.
Pledge to end child labour in agriculture
The director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), Qu Dongyu, has pledged to intensify efforts toward addressing child labour in agriculture through a dedicated work programme.
NZ seeks Irish support
New Zealand is looking to Ireland for support as it negotiates a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU).
World food prices rise for seventh consecutive month
World food prices rose for the seventh consecutive month in December, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) reports.
Opinion
Slow down and smell the flowers!
OPINION: I have been a regular reader for a number of years now, the last couple of decades in particular. …
Editorial: Better connection, now!
OPINION: We may now be into the third decade of the 21st century, but unfortunately much of NZ’s rural broadband…An open letter to Government
OPINION: Dear Ministers Nash and Shaw,Impact of irrigation on the soil
OPINION: Soil organic matter was a hot topic for environmentalists, ecologists and primary producers in 2020.Editorial: Blubbering start!
OPINION: Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr’s foolish and ham-fisted comment comparing NZ’s farming sector to the country’s defunct whaling…Agribusiness
The rewards of good data
New Zealand's primary sector is our equivalent of the USA’s Silicon Valley of excellence.
Set for another profitable year
NZ agriculture is set for what looks likely to be a generally profitable season in 2020/21, with most sectors seeing…East Coast Farm Expo set to go
The 2021 East Coast Farming Expo is a two-day mid-week gathering for sheep and beef producers with a focus on…Kiwi research on infant milk powder colour goes global
A Wintec science student Rehana Ponnal has had research published in the International Dairy Journal late last year, a big…The power of good facilitation
“Without a facilitator, we would just have done that farmer thing and sat round, shuffled our feet and waited for…Management
Major task ahead for NZ farming
New modelling from the Climate Change Commission has outlined a major task ahead for the agribusiness industry in New Zealand.
Securing a future for NZ pastures
Farmers, scientists and rural industry leaders are meeting in Waikato later this year to start mapping out a secure future for New Zealand pastures.
Game changing irrigation system
A team of Feilding-based software engineers has helped mastermind a game-changing irrigation prototype that diagnoses its own operating faults and can launch a drone to manage crops at leaf level.
Wool-less Wiltshires prove popular
A seemingly never-ending plunge in strong wool prices is proving to be a boon for a sheep breed that doesn’t produce the increasingly worthless fibre – the Wiltshire.
Study looks into economic impact of self-shedding sheep
Massey University's sheep team is examining the economic impact and the production consequences of crossbreeding with Wiltshires to a fully shedding flock.
Farm Health
Wiltshires in big demand
The demand for Wiltshire sheep is “incredible and unbelievable”, according to the country’s major breeder of the sheep that sheds…
MPI to review heat stress issue
MPI says a significant amount of work is under way this year to update animal welfare codes and provide updated…Possible scanner shortages likely
While most rams have yet to go out, farmers are being encouraged to book their sheep scanners in early.Mastitis can jump from cow to cow - claim
Hawke's Bay dairy farmer Rose Galloway rejects any suggestion that mastitis in cows isn't contagious. A trained nurse, Galloway and her…High FE spore counts recorded
Facial eczema (FE) spore counts in some parts of the country are particularly high for this time of year and…Machinery & Products
Dual purpose trailer
Northern Irish manufacturer Slurry Kat has developed a multi-purpose trailer.
Combines win robotics award
John Deere's X Series Combine Harvesters received a CES Innovation Award to recognise their ‘outstanding product design and engineering in…Better sowing accuracy
Väderstad has updated its Spirit 400C/S pneumatic seed drill, which aims to deliver greater seeding precision, user-friendly electronics and a high…Double-row drilling increases yields
German manufacturer Lemken claims there are yield and quality advantages to be gained by precision planting maize in two staggered…Packs a clean punch and firm bale
The latest generation of Krone Big Pack balers sets out to minimise the total cost of ownership (TCO), while also…Motoring
Early pick for car of the year!
As I'm writing this review in early December, I’d like to make a prediction – the new Land Rover Defender…
Big, bold brash Ram truck will grow on you
Introduced in 2018, the Ram 1500 brought big American trucks to the New Zealand mainstream – at a price point…Hilux ups the ante - yet again
When the 8th generation Toyota Hilux arrived in late 2015, it was a major departure from the Hilux of old.Like a red rag to a bull!
Mark Daniel reviews the new Jeep Gladiator truck.Gladiator set to commence battle
The new Jeep Gladiator is due to arrive on the NZ market in August.» The RNG Weather Report
» Latest Print Issues Online
The Hound
Great idea
OPINION: Your old mate has long argued Landcorp’s farming business – Pamu – is a bigger dog than he is.
Unemployable?
OPINION: Your canine crusader shakes his head at the complete lack of practical and real-world knowledge in both government and…
» Connect with Rural News
» eNewsletter
Popular Reads
Stage set for another dairy price hike
The stage is set for another rise in Fonterra’s forecast milk payout following a fifth straight jump in Global Dairy…
Fonterra lifts 2020/21 forecast Farmgate Milk Price range
Fonterra announced today that it will lift its 2020/21 forecast Farmgate Milk Price range to $6.90 - $7.50/kgMS.
Payout on the rise
Farmgate milk prices offered by processors continue to soar on the back of strong global demand for dairy products.