A major South Island irrigation scheme, Hunter Downs, is struggling to get all-farmer support for the second instalment on its shares.

Despite last week’s drop in this season’s expected milk payout by both Fonterra and Westland there are positive – albeit slow – signs about the future outlook for dairy prices.

The winners of the 2015 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are ahead of the game in driving profitability on farms during a forecast period of low milk payouts, say judges.

Federated Farmers and Rabobank’s 2015 employee remuneration report shows farm employee salaries are increasing, despite tough industry conditions.

The Waikato Regional Council plans to hold another farm planning and environmental sustainability field day after the success of their last event at the Kaniwhaniwha Stream.

Between 2009 and 2014 there were 241 workplace fatalities in New Zealand.

Tainui Group Holdings manages the commercial assets of the Waikato-Tainui people. With a diverse portfolio that includes the likes of hotels in Hamilton and Auckland airport, to an involvement in healthcare, its vision extends out to 50 years.

National average somatic cell count (SCC) levels have been dropping recently and are on track to reach a bulk milk SCC of 150,000 cells/ml by 2016.

Vastly improving a poorly performing paddock led to Waiuku farmer Robert Garshaw winning the first-year pasture category of DairyNZ’s Pasture Renewal Persistence competition.

Body condition score (BCS) is to be included as a new trait in breeding worth (BW) from February 2016.