A new dairy industry resource for managing mastitis and improving milk quality has been unveiled by DairyNZ at the New Zealand Milk Quality Conference in Hamilton.

Rural Women New Zealand will highlight the devastating impacts on families of leptospirosis, a disease that can be passed from infected animals to humans, at the New Zealand Veterinary Association conference in Hamilton next week.

Federated Farmers is joyed by Fonterra Cooperative Group signing a conditional offer to purchase the milk processing assets of New Zealand Dairies.

Strong interest from dairy farmers will make for a capacity crowd at the South Island Dairy Event (SIDE) to be held at Otago University in Dunedin at the end of June.

Fonterra confirmed it has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire the milk processing assets of the New Zealand Dairies Ltd group in South Canterbury.

Day two of New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays brought 30,647 visitors through the gate. Although less than 2011's record Thursday, figures were still typical of previous years. With two days remaining, total visitors to Fieldays have reached 57,735.

Farm sales were up by 28.3% or 103 more farms in the three months ending May 2012 compared to the same three months last year, Real Estate Institute of NZ (REINZ) figures show. A total of 1398 farms were sold in the year to May 2012, 50.3% more than were sold in the year to May 2011.

AgResearch's role in the changing face of farming is the theme for AgResearch's stand in the Premier Feature area at this year's National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek.

With statistics showing dairy compliance rates have reached 91% for the 2011/2012 season, Horizons region dairy farmers deserve a pat on the back, says Federated Farmers Manawatu/Rangitikei provincial president and Dairy Industry Group vice-chairperson Andrew Hoggard.

Officially opened by Minister of Primary Industries, David Carter, day one of Australasia's largest rural tradeshow saw over 27,000 flock to Mystery Creek Events Centre yesterday in Hamilton.