No easy ride for struggling sheep farmers
Stubbornly high farm input costs, a slow Chinese recovery and a flood of Australian lamb onto the global market are the main factors contributing to the tough times being faced by NZ's sheep farmers.
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.
Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.