Battle for milk
OPINION: Fonterra may be on the verge of selling its consumer business in New Zealand, but the co-operative is not keen on giving any ground to its competitors in the country.
Speaking of Fonterra, the Hound received a curt note from a failed board candidate in last year's election...
The note was 'thanking' this old mutt for helping publicise his run as a director in 2014 – claiming it helped lift his profile (what do they say about all publicity being good publicity?). Anyway, the said column referred to a lack of talent among the challengers last year and described the talent pool of potential directors as being "as shallow as the puddle out the back of the Hound's kennel". Anyhow, the said failed candidate claims, "Got to say though that you did lament the caliber [sic] (or lack of) in the challenging pack last year. Surely now with the untrained lot hoping to get onto a sinking lid board this will make last year's lot look like rocket scientists". The Hound reckons his newest 'fan' does make a fair point!
Keratin biomaterials company Keraplast and Wools of New Zealand have signed a new superpremium wool contract which is said to deliver a boost to wool growers.
While things are looking positive for the red meat sector in 2026, volatility in global trade remains a concern, says the Meat Industry Association (MIA).
The quest to find innovative practical, scientific solutions to deal with water-related issues at a catchment level has been the theme of an important conference at Massey University last week.
One of the country's top Māori farms faces a long and costly rebuild to get the property back to where it was before recent storms ripped through it.
The latest Global Dairy Trade auction results have delivered a boost to dairy farmers.
New Zealand potato growers are prioritising value creation from high yields to meet a complex mix of challenges and opportunities, says Potatoes NZ chief executive Kate Trufitt.

OPINION: First on the scene after the recent devastating storms in parts of the North Island were emergency services and selfless…
OPINION: Why can't Christopher Luxon stand up to Winston Peters over the latter’s high-profile attack on the proposed Indian FTA?