With the official cash rate due out on Thursday, farmer confidence at the beginning of the 2012-13 season has plummeted in Federated Farmers latest farm confidence survey.

New Zealanders need to hear more about the great progress farmers are making to lift their environmental performance, says Ballance Agri-Nutrients chairman David Graham.

WHAT ARE you doing to promote animal welfare, biodiversity and wildlife on your farm?

EFFLUENT MANAGEMENT on dairy farms is improving. A national snapshot, to be released in November, will show the 2011-12 season’s significant non-compliance dropping below 10% from 11% in 2010-11 and 16% in 2009-10.

QUALIFICATIONS AND training for the myriad components of the ‘agriculture sector’ have multiplied since 1992 when the new national qualifications, including those run by the AgITO, were set up.

THE GOVERNMENT has acted sensibly and prudently by deferring the agriculture sector’s entry into the controversial Emission Trading Scheme (ETS).

FINANCIAL CO-OPs, unfashionable in Europe until 2007, have since leapt into favour following the global financial crisis, says the general manager of the European Association of Cooperative Banks, Hervé Guider.

DAIRY FARMERS have to accept they are the target of a rapidly increasing number of evangelistic environmentalists.

National's agenda for Fonterra should be seriously questioned after it refused to support a move by Labour to protect farmers, says Labour's spokesperson for Primary Industries Damien O'Connor.

New Zealand beef and dairy farmers can now take part in a programme to produce high-value marbled beef for premium markets, both domestically and offshore.