ONCE-A-DAY (OAD) milking is the only way New Zealand will retain its competitive advantage, Small Herds Association field day participants were told last week at Hikurangi, Northland.

FONTERRA SUBSIDIARY RD1 has bought Ruawai Farm Supplies, in the town on the Kaipara Harbour, Northland, bringing its retail store total to 65.

DAIRY FARMER-owned cooperative LIC says increased use of its products has boosted half-year profit.

GOAT MILK sales growth of 50% in two years is prompting the Dairy Goat Cooperative (Hamilton) to look for suppliers in Northland and Taranaki.

EXPORT COMMODITY prices, already down 9% on a mid-2011 peak, are tipped to slip further in the coming months as Europe deteriorates and Asian growth slows, says Westpac's latest economic outlook report.

APPROVAL OF the Crafar farms sale to Chinese buyers by the Overseas Investment Office (OIO) has prompted many claims made in the battle to win the New Zealand public's hearts and minds.

WHETHER NEW Zealand moves to eradicate bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), or what the next steps are in a co-ordinated approach to control the disease, will be up for debate next month at a meeting of the BVD steering committee.

WET SUMMER weather has caused a higher-than-usual incidence of lameness in Waikato and Taranaki dairy herds, vets say.

Farmers who used new genomic technology from their cooperative, LIC, in 2008 and 2009 will shortly receive a credit for the premium they paid for the product in those two years.

DairyNZ is piloting a new approach in the Manawatu and South Waikato to help farmers achieve their cow condition targets by calving.