Bikinis in cowshed
OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content posted on social media and adult entertainment subscription site OnlyFans.
According to John Roche, MPI, the saviour for Chatham Island farmers this season has been the weather.
He says grass growth has been good and the stock are in excellent condition. But another problem looms in the background - feral cattle.
Roche says in many parts of the rugged islands roam wilds or feral cattle - animals that have likely escaped in the past, but which are now breaking down fences and eating feed that should be consumed by farmed animals.
To that end, MPI is working with farmers who have a problem with feral cattle to get rid of them; just recently a helicopter was used to track down and shoot these 'predators'.
Roche says the helicopter is the only way to deal with the problem given the rugged nature of the countryside. He says a programme will likely take another couple of months.
As time ticks by for a solution to getting lots of animals off to the mainland, there is the worry in the background of an animal welfare issue. Roche says this is not the case yet, but says he's working with his compliance team and the farmers themselves to avoid a problem.
Fonterra has unveiled the first refrigerated electric truck to deliver dairy products across Auckland.
Research and healthcare initiatives, leadership and dedication to the sector have been recognised in the 2025 Horticulture Industry Awards.
Virtual fencing and pasture management company Halter says its NZ operations has delivered a profit of $2.8 million after exclusion of notional items.
Manuka honey trader Comvita slumped to a $104 million net loss last financial year, reflecting prolonged market disruption, oversupply and pricing volatility.
The Government has struck a deal with New Zealand's poultry industry, agreeing how they will jointly prepare for and respond to exotic poultry diseases, including any possible outbreak of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI).
The conversion of productive farmland into trees has pretty much annihilated the wool industry.