Dairy farmers wanting new consents from Horizons Regional Council (HRC) look set to struggle to meet the new criteria for these.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) says it’s happy with the way farmers are preparing for the new bobby calf regulations to be enforced from August 1.

The idea of virtual fencing has been around for 20 years, but AgResearch believes its time has come and will soon start testing an Australian product.

The Hound was delighted to see outgoing Feds dairy head and new national vice-president Andrew Hoggard have a crack at multinational, tax-dodging, political activist lobby Greenpeace.

Many dairy farmers are taking advantage of this season’s better payout to regain some of the equity they lost in their farms during the previous two bad years.

One of the first projects approved under the Government’s Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) in 2000 targeted avocado orchard management.

New Zealand farmer confidence and spending intentions jumped to record levels in the second quarter of this year, buoyed by improved commodity prices.

If Labour were elected to govern it would appoint a chief agri-food advisor with status similar to that of the present chief science advisor to government, says the party’s spokesman on primary industries, Damien O’Connor.

The kiwifruit industry initially lost a billion dollars -- about one-third of its capital value -- to Psa, says Zespri chief executive Lain Jager.

Long-term independent director David Jackson will retire from Fonterra’s board in November.