Fodder beet is New Zealand’s wheat. That’s how Dr Jim Gibbs, a leading researcher from Lincoln University describes the fodder crop which is rapidly gaining popularity among dairy, beef and deer farmers, so much so ‘fodder beet clubs’ are being set up to get best value from the crop.

SEQUENCING THE genomes of 234 bulls whose descendants number tens of millions can enable breeding schemes to reduce or eliminate hereditary diseases and produce milk and beef more efficiently.

A DRAFT plan to allow North America to cope with an outbreak of, say, foot-and-mouth disease, without shutting down the continent’s cattle trade has won US backing from the National Milk Producers Federation.

AN AWARD-WINNING electronic sensor system will make dairy plant washing much less risky say its inventors.

LONG-SERVING FONTERRA director, Jim van der Poel, will retire from the cooperative's board in November, after 12 years of service.

DAIRY FARMERS should pay close attention to farm costs this season, says industry body DairyNZ, in response to the reduced 2014/15 forecast milk price.

FONTERRA'S FORECAST for 2014/15 has fallen lower than expected, says Federated Farmers at $6/kgMS.

FONTERRA HAS reduced its forecast farmgate milk price for the 2014/15 season from $7 to $6/kgMS and announced an estimated dividend range of 20-25 cents per share

NOMINATIONS WILL open next month for a new farmer-elected director for DairyNZ’s board following the resignation of Barbara Kuriger from Taranaki.

A THAMES farming company was ordered by a judge "not to commence milking" until a new dairy effluent system was in operation on its Kopu farm.