Birth woes
OPINION: What does the birth rate in China have to do with stock trading? Just ask a2 Milk Company.
A dog has tested positive for Covid-19 in Hong Kong, but experts say people should not panic about animal to human transmission.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) in Hong Kong announced earlier this week that a pet dog had repeatedly tested weak positive for Covid-19.
The dog is showing no symptoms of the illness, however, the weak positive indicates a low-level infection with the virus.
More than 3,000 people have died from the coronavirus outbreak.
Experts from the School of Public Health of The University of Hong Kong, the College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences of the City University of Hong Kong and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have agreed unanimously that the dog has a low-level infection that was likely caused by human-to-animal transmission.
An AFCD spokesman says this is currently no evidence that pet animals can be a source of infection of Covid-19 or that the virus makes them sick.
The OIE says that the Covid-19 virus is a close relative of other coronaviruses found circulating in Rhinolophusbat (Horseshoe Bat) populations. It says it appears possible that transmission may have occurred from an intermediate host.
Tickets are now available for Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) Out the Gate, returning from 19-21 May 2026 at Te Pae, Christchurch.
Dairy Women's Network (DWN) is welcoming AgriHealth as a new partner.
Northland Field Days patron Ross Newlove remembers the inaugural field days he attended 40 years ago.
Southland farmer Murray Donald has been appointed as chair of Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation focused on reducing harm, injuries and fatalities in the agricultural sector.
National Lamb Day returns this Sunday, 15 February, with Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc calling on Kiwis to fire up their barbecues and celebrate the people and the product that put New Zealand on the world map.
When it comes to arranging the sound system at Northland Field Days, no one does it better than Colin Finlayson.

OPINION: Here w go: the election date is set for November 7 and the politicians are out of the gate…
OPINION: ECan data was released a few days ago showing Canterbury farmers have made “giant strides on environmental performance”.